NBAA Convention News 11-18-15

NOV. 18, 2015

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JAPAN LAS VEGAS

NBAA calls for resistance to user fees

by James Wynbrandt

BARRY AMBROSE

The FAA budget reauthorization time bomb was audibly ticking at the NBAA Convention’s opening general session. NBAA president Ed Bolen warned his members that they must stand up to an airline lobby push for air traffic control privatization to be funded by user fees in place of fuel taxes and devoid of Congressional oversight to allow

commercial carriers to run the system themselves.

Urging the business aviation community to “help shape our destiny” by demanding support from the representatives, Bolen warned that the airline industry’s efforts to load up the longanticipated FAA Reauthorization bill with ATC privatization

Continued on page 101 u

Bombardier ‘beaming’ connectivity

Flexjet hatches Mach-busting plan, placing $2.4b Aerion AS2 order

by Mark Huber Fractional-share provider Flexjet signed a firm order yesterday for 20 Aerion AS2 supersonic business jets for delivery beginning in 2023.

The deal, the value of which has not been disclosed, is backed by a nonrefundable deposit.

At NBAA 2015, Aerion founder Robert Bass declined to say how many total orders or letters of intent the company possessed or how many it would need to put the AS2 into production. “When an organization like Flexjet makes a decision, it is after much thought and study,” he said. “And we are very pleased they have selected the Aerion AS2.”

Bass also declined to say if Airbus had invested in the company. Last year Aerion and Airbus announced a technology sharing agreement. Bass did say that, under the terms of that agreement, Airbus could manufacture components of the AS2.

“Being on the leading edge of something

that is supersonic is a very exciting thing to do,” said Flexjet CEO Kenn Ricci. “We have a lot of confidence in Bob [Bass] and his team to bring this project to market. We are going into the international market; that was one of our goals when we bought Flexjet two years ago. As we go into that market we realize that there is not a ‘one size that fits all’ for our clients.”

Ricci said Flexjet has programs where customers can buy access to larger and more capable aircraft on a selected basis, and that is where he sees a supersonic business jet fitting the bill for his company and its customers, being able to access a supersonic business jet when speed matters.

“We did run this by our clients and we were amazed by the interest we had from very large corporate customers,” Ricci said, adding that before this consultation Flexjet had only intended to order 10 AS2s. o

by Curt Esptein

Bombardier has reported that testing and validation for its WAVE (wireless access virtually everywhere) high-speed in-flight connectivity solution is nearing completion, following multiple successful tests aboard a Global jet. To prove its point, the

Canadian airframer “beamed ” a little star power into NBAA 2015 in the form of television and film icon William Shatner.

Bombardier invited fellow Canadian Shatner to take a flight on its Global WAVE testbed, from Continued on page 101 u

BARRY AMBROSE

Flexjet’s Kenn Ricci, center, sips a supersonic toast with Aerion’s Brian Barents, left, Ernie Edwards, rear, and Robert Bass.

Star Trek icon William Shatner, second from left, sampled advanced WAVE in-flight connectivity, and reported his findings to system stakeholders (l-r) Kurt Weidemeyer of Inmarsat; Jean-Christophe Gallagher of Bombardier; and Jack Jacobs of Honeywell.

Industry

Air Traffic Control

Training

OEMs

Safety

Survey Shows Increased Activity

No End in Sight for VIP TFRs

Sim Mimics In-Flight Emergencies

Embraer Ramps Up for Production

Extended Fatality-Free Period Ends

Online job posting company JSfirm conducted a survey of more than 300 bizav operators. Their plans for hiring and buying in the foreseeable future are turning heads. page 20

With an election year coming up, we should expect an increase in restrictions to select airspace. The FAA and security agencies try to balance safety with GA’s travel needs. page 37

Aircare International has developed its full-size FACTS VIII simulator to replicate in-flight emergencies, including smoke in the cabin and in-flight fire. Full motion increases the sense of realism. page 42

Embraer Executive Jets’ midsize Legacy 450 and 500 models are set to roll on an expanded assembly line in Melbourne, Fla. The Brazilian airframer also builds its Phenom line there. page 80

Before the August mid-air collision involving a Sabreliner, U.S.-registered business jets had gone more than half a year without a fatality. It was one of the longest such periods on record. page 98

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NBAA

Honda Aircraft has five HA-420 HondaJets flying, with 25 more on the assembly line.

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HondaJet eyes full certification and service entry by year-end

by Kerry Lynch Honda Aircraft is nearing full type certification of its HondaJet HA-420 with the final function-and-reliability certification testing expected to conclude this week, president and CEO Michimasa Fujino said on Tuesday at NBAA 2015.

He anticipates certification and first deliveries by year-end.

The company has amassed more than

WINGLET TECHNOLOGY STEPS UP CITATION SOVEREIGN PROGRAM Winglet Technology has confirmed performance improvement of its new Citation Sovereign elliptical winglet and is moving into fabrication of the first production unit to support certification flight testing. The Wichita-based firm has filed an application and certification plan for its winglet design on the Sovereign and expects to begin certification flight testing and wing structural testing in March.

Certification and entry into service are anticipated in the third quarter of 2016.

The company completed 70 hours of back-to-back winglet-on and winglet-off high-speed tests for cruise performance and handling qualities of a Citation Sovereign last summer. Tests confirmed a 26-knot speed increase at FL470; direct climb to FL450 at a one-percent higher takeoff weight in less than 26 minutes; and a 205-nm range increase for payloads less than 1,120 pounds and 305-nm increase for payloads exceeding 1,495 pounds.

Winglet Technology previously was granted FAA STC approval to install its elliptical winglet design on the Citation X in July 2009. It recently secured approval for takeoff and landing data (TOLD) and 150-pound maximum zero fuel weight (MZFW) increase upgrades for wingletequipped Citation Xs. Cessna has made the winglet design standard on new Citation X+ models.

–K.L.

3,000 flight hours, with testing conducted at more than 70 locations. Five production aircraft are flying and 25 more are on the production line, Fujino said.

Full certification, following provisional type certification in March, will culminate decades of research, testing and preparation. Honda Aircraft has built up a staff of 1,700 employees and expanded its

campus in Greensboro, N.C., to encompass 680,000 sq ft of facilities, including an on-site FlightSafety International learning center. The company has also obtained a Part 145 repair station certificate and set up a network of 11 dealers in the U.S., South America and Europe.

The training center is operational, and the first classes are expected to begin shortly, Fujino said.

Fujino maintained that the company has orders for more than 100 HondaJets.

Plans call for production to begin at an initial rate of three to four a month in 2016, he said, adding that the company is evaluating possible dealerships in Asia and/or India next. o

One Aviation inks China deal

by Kerry Lynch One Aviation received an order for 20 of its Eclipse 550 very light jets worth roughly $60 million as part of a recent dealership agreement with Jinggong General Aviation in China. Deliveries will extend over several years as One Aviation and Jinggong work to obtain Chinese certification and build up sales, training and support networks in China, said One Aviation CEO Alan Klapmeier.

The company announced the partnership late last month, citing the “untapped potential” of the Chinese market. In announcing the aircraft order at the NBAA show on Monday, Klapmeier added, “we’re very bullish on China. The issues in China are difficult, but represent a huge opportunity.” One Aviation expects to secure Chinese certification of the Eclipse 550 in about six months, he added.

At the same time, the company is anticipating European certification for the aircraft imminently. In July, One Aviation named Jet Lounge as its exclusive representative of the Eclipse 550, Eclipse SE and Kestrel 350 in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and the nonFrench speaking portions of Switzerland and Belgium. Klapmeier noted that the 550’s predecessor aircraft, the Eclipse 500, had received European certification, but the aircraft had changed so much over

4 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

time that it required revalidation.

In the U.S., One Aviation has struck a deal to provide Eclipse 550s to Ascension Air for its owner-flown fractional ownership model. Ascension Air founder Jamail Larkins said his clients have begun to look to step up from the Cirrus SR 22T GTSs in his program, and the Eclipse was a good fit for the operation.

Larkins has ordered the first, which will be delivered in the next few weeks and be based at Ascension Air’s Atlanta base. He plans to order more as the market builds up for the aircraft in his program, including potential additions to the company’s Fort Lauderdale, Fla. base.

The orders come as One Aviation has been realigning the sales, customer support and production efforts for the Eclipse 550. The company, formed earlier this year from the merger of Eclipse Aviation and Kestrel Aircraft, has been working “to change the way people think about owning and operating an airplane.” This starts from a customer-support effort, including the new five-year warranty rolled out last summer, to lowering parts prices.

“We’re trying to make it as simple as possible,” Klapmeier said. He has curbed marketing while realigning sales efforts, including increasing staff and dealerships and changing the way the company interacts with potential customers. o

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The first flight-test Bombardier Global 7000, dubbed FTV1, is assembled, complete with its GE Passport engines and wiring harnesses.

Bombardier on Global 7000: aircraft is ‘number one priority’

by Kerry Lynch Amid intense scrutiny on its cash shortage issues, Bombardier displayed its first two Global 7000 flight-test vehicles to the press on November 3, and company executives emphasized that the “right resources” are in place to develop its new flagship business jet. “The 7000 is the number-one priority for Bombardier Business Aircraft and for me personally,” said David Coleal, who took over in May as president of the division.

Speaking to reporters at Bombardier’s facility in Downsview, Ontario, Coleal emphasized that Bombardier is focused on its new Global 7000 entry-into-service timeline of second-half 2018. Bombardier executives, however, would not provide a timeline for the longer-range Global 8000, saying only that they are focused first on the 7000. Nor were they ready to discuss the timeline for first flight of the 7000.

But during a tour of the assembly facility for the 7000/8000 line, Bombardier executives displayed the first two 7000 flight-test vehicles and its all-new production line, designed specifically for the 7000/8000 program, that is the company’s most advanced yet. Flight Test Vehicle 1 was

assembled, complete with the GE Passport engines and wiring harnesses. Julien Boudreault, general manager of operations for the Global 7000/8000 lines, said the harnesses on FTV 1 are “in the final stages of inspection so we can do power on.” FTV 2, one production stage behind FTV 1, was mated to the wings with component installation ongoing. Components for FTVs 3 and 4 also are in production.

The company has tested 35 systems and commissioned 29 different test rigs, said Michel Ouellette, senior v-p of the Global 7000 and 8000 programs. Bombardier has conducted a series of integrated aircraft ground tests across 15 facilities for these programs.

In addition, the company has taken delivery of the first 10 Passport engines.

As for the Passport engines, Kathy Mackenzie, general manager of regional engines and services at GE Aviation, provided an update of the progress on the engines, saying they have completed 25 of 27 certification tests, with the 26th to be finished shortly. Additionally, the engines have accrued 1,850 hours and 2,150 cycles as the company works toward a certification

program that it anticipates will encompass 4,000 hours and 8,000 cycles. The engine began flight testing in late 2014 aboard GE Aviation’s 747-100 flying testbed.

Bombardier is leveraging its experience of its previous work with Rockwell Collins for the Vision flight deck, Ouellette said. The Vision platform, which uses the Pro Line Fusion avionics suite as its base, is already flying on Global 5000s and 6000s. The airframer also is building on experience gained through its use of fly-by-wire technologies (FBW) on the CSeries, he said. The Global 7000 FBW uses “the same technology…the same supply base,” Ouellette added.

The Global 7000 development program also is borrowing expertise from the CSeries. Over the development cycles, CSeries engineers and other workers have gradually shifted to the Global 7000, and Bombardier now has 2,000 employees dedicated to the program. Ouellette said the company is continuing to expand the Global 7000 employment base as progress on the program continues.

Bombardier is testing and building components at its various locations, including Querétaro, Mexico, Montreal

6 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

and the Downsview facility.

But like the Global 5000/6000 family, the Global 7000 will be assembled in Downsview.

Bombardier has transformed its Hangar 10, which has housed production or assembly of numerous Bombardier models, into a five-position assembly line that employs an “Atlas” system to move aircraft down the line and laserguided technology to ensure precision manufacturing.

Integrated Production

Boudreault called the process “game changing,” saying it integrates every phase, beginning with the design of the aircraft.

“Everything works together,” he said. The process starts on the floor, where specially designed reflector mirrors are strategically placed to help guide laser technology to ensure accuracy and precision. According to Boudreault, the process was designed to ensure consistency and repeatability. The laser technology guides articulated robot drilling, providing a tolerance for accuracy and precision within less than one thousandth of an inch.

“We’re excited by the unprecedented precision and quality we’ve observed on the assembly of the first two flight-test vehicles,” Ouellette said. “This further validates that Bombardier made the right choice in the technology.”

Unlike typical manufacturing processes, the one used for the Global 7000 begins with

wing preparation in the first position, which is then moved via the Atlas system to the second position for attachment to the fuselage. The system removes most use of cranes to lift the aircraft and components to transport between production stations. It also dramatically speeds up the process of shifting the aircraft in progress between stations from hours to mere seconds.

The Global 7000/8000 program has also gone paperless, using Windows-based tablets to provide work orders. These tablets are tied into the production process. If some part of assembly does not appear calibrated, the tablets require certain actions to be taken before work can continue. Bombardier did not break out the investment it has made into the redesign of its production process, but Boudreault expressed confidence that the automated approach will provide a return.

As development continues, Bombardier is continuing to hold focus groups on the new Global 7000. Coleal noted that the aircraft will be the only purposebuilt, four-zone business jet. The aircraft will have a 111-footlong fuselage, while the cabin is 54 feet and 7 inches long and its windows are 80-percent larger than those used on the Global 5000 and 6000. Bombardier said the Model 7000 is designed with a 7,400-nm range at Mach 0.85, and top speeds that will rival that of Gulfstream’s G650 at Mach 0.925 under certain operating conditions.

Coleal added he is encouraged that “backlog is strong” for the Global 7000, although Bombardier does not detail orders.

The 2018 timeline was set this summer, some two years later than the Canadian-headquartered manufacturer originally had hoped. The aircraft, unveiled in 2010, was originally targeted to reach the market next year.

The 8000 was to follow a year behind the 7000, but Bombardier executives declined to update the timeline. They stressed that efforts are centered on bringing the 7000 to market.

The 8000, which will be shorter than the 7000 but have a 7,900nm range, will have 80-percent commonality with the 7000. o

Firms shed light on drone operations

by James Careless As drones catch on with the business community, companies without flying experience are seeking third-party piloting providers to fly their drones for them. But how can

they do this legally, and what are the insurance ramifications of using drones?

These and other issues are tackled in the white paper “Contracting With and

Between UAS Operators” published by insurance provider Global Aerospace (Booth C11612) and Dentons, a law firm specializing in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or

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8 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Package delivery is one of myriad uses for drones, but there are numerous legal implications for potential operators to consider.

drones as they are popularly known. The white paper reviews a number of important questions that companies should consider when contracting drone services. It also summarizes some of the legal issues that arise when interacting with and within the drone community.

“We receive inquiries every day from our clients and others around drone use,” said Chris Proudlove, senior vice president and manager of the Northeast regional office and UAS risks for Global Aerospace. “This paper tackles the key issues companies have raised around the safe, legal use of drones.”

“The explosive growth of the UAS industry makes it critical that providers and users of drone services focus on risk allocation and management,” added Dentons partner Mark Dombroff. “This white paper shines a spotlight on those areas.”

Specific topics covered in the white paper include dealing with the current regulatory environment; the top 10 things to ask a prospective drone service company, and how legally enforceable contracts can help protect drone manufacturers, operators and users. The white paper is available free of charge at www.global-aero.com/ contracting-with-and-betweenuas-operators/.

NBAA is well aware that there is keen interest in drones among its members, and small UAS used for business aviation purposes was addressed at a session held on Tuesday at NBAA 2015. The session focused on how companies can integrate small UAS into their flight departments. o

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Only one supersonic business jet will be flying in the 2020s.

Make Paris to New York a day trip. Save up to six and a half flight hours across the Pacific.

Save as many as 200 flight hours a year. Aerion, in collaboration with Airbus Group, is incorporating advanced aerodynamic concepts into the engineering design of the AS2 business jet. This Mach 1.5 jet will make its first flight in 2021. It’s time to get on board.

See us at NBAA, Booth C9429 www.aerionsupersonic.com sales@aerioncorp.com

NEWS CLIPS z AMS Offers MRO Software Solutions Aircraft Maintenance Systems RD (AMS), a Canadabased maker of aviation maintenance software, is making its first appearance at NBAA 2015.

AMS’s software lineup includes Aviation Maintenance Manager, Inventory Manager and the Component Work Module. Aviation Maintenance Manager covers functions such as maintenance tracking; recurrent training for technicians; licensing and medical renewals; heavy equipment maintenance tracking; and storing electronic documents such as aircraft maintenance and pilot training manuals. Inventory Manager is designed to improve internal parts tracking and ordering. And the Component Work Module is meant to help MROs improve their turnaround times and preventive maintenance compliance.

To sweeten the motivation for people to visit AMS’s NBAA booth (C7624) and fill out a survey, the company is holding a drawing for a tablet computer.

z Gulfstream Reports Stellar Q3 Results Gulfstream Aerospace continues to be a star performer at parent company General Dynamics, with the aerospace segment reporting its highest-ever quarterly revenue and the fifth consecutive quarterly profit exceeding $400 million. Year-over-year, third-quarter aerospace revenue climbed $548 million, to $2.343 billion, while profits rose by $15 million, to $426 million, General Dynamics chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic said on October 28 during an investor conference call.

Sales of both midsize and large-cabin Gulfstreams during the quarter were fairly strong, she said, though somewhat dominated by demand from North America.

However, the G650 is still garnering considerable sales from markets outside North America, with Novakovic mentioning China specifically. Book-to-bill ratio during the quarter was 0.9:1, with G450/500 backlog at nine to 12 months; the G650/650ER is sold out until the second quarter of 2018. By value, the backlog was $13.6 billion as of September 30, down $400 million from late June.

Novakovic said the only headwinds for sales are “white tails in the G450 and G550 space at very low prices” from a “competitor” (read: Bombardier), along with five to six pre-owned G650s up for sale. “However, we’re optimistic about sales in the fourth quarter,” she said. “The pipeline is good, even though it is heavily North American.”

Third-quarter deliveries at Gulfstream also soared, with 43 jets (31 large-cabin, 12 midsize) handed over versus 31 aircraft (25 large, six midsize) in the same period last year. It shipped 116 jets in the first nine months (89 large, 27 midsize), compared with 108 (84 large, 24 midsize) a year ago.

z CAN Flies 49,000+ Patients Corporate Angel Network (CAN), the charity that uses available seats on business aircraft flights to transport cancer victims to treatment, said in late October that it flew its 49,000th and 49,001st patients since it was launched in 1981. The 49,000th flight on October 27 was operated by Dow Chemical, one of the first companies to offer its flights to CAN, and carried 54-year-old Richard Gremillion Jr. and his 74-year-old father–both prostate cancer patients–from Baton Rouge to Houston, where they are receiving treatment.

At this year’s convention NBAA will raise money to benefit CAN at the annual Soiree Reception and Silent Auction. The event starts at 6 p.m. on Wednesday November 18 at the Las Vegas Venetian Hotel and features both silent and live auctions, as well as a private concert by cover band The Zippers.

GE building factories for silicon materials

by Gregory Polek GE Aviation (Booth N2304) plans to build two adjacent factories in Huntsville, Ala., to mass-produce silicon carbide (SiC) materials used to manufacture ceramic matrix composite components (CMCs) for jet engines and land-based gas turbines, the company announced last month. The company said construction will cost it more than $200 million.

Expected to enter operation in mid-2018, the factories will employ as many as 300 people, according to GE. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and members of the Alabama delegation at the state capital in Montgomery joined GE Aviation’s CMC program vice president Sanjay Correa in Huntsville to announce the

GE expects to start building the two plants in mid-2016 and complete construction by the first half of 2018. GE has already begun hiring the technical team that will transfer to the Huntsville operation and it expects to begin hiring the hourly workforce in late 2016.

GE considers the use of CMCs in the hot section of GE jet engines a “breakthrough” for the jet propulsion industry.

CMCs comprise SiC ceramic fibers in a SiC matrix, enhanced by proprietary coatings.

Carrying one-third the density of metal alloys, CMCs reduce engine weight and their high-temperature properties enhance engine performance, durability and fuel economy. Far more heat resistant than metal

fiber-producing technology from Japan’s NGS Advanced Fibers, in which GE holds a 25 percent stake. NGS, which already produces SiC fibers for GE’s CMC components, plans to open a second factory in Japan to increase production capacity. The GE fiber plant in Huntsville will complement the growing capacity at NGS. Once the Huntsville plant enters operation, it will sell fiber to the Department of Defense, GE businesses, fellow NGS stakeholder Herakles Safran of France and other outside customers subject to U.S. regulations. The two other NGS partners–50-percent owner Nippon Carbon of Japan and Herakles Safran–will ultimately get a chance to become equity partners in the Huntsville plant, said GE. The adjacent plant, financed solely by GE, will apply proprietary coatings to the ceramic fiber and form them into a matrix to produce CMC tape. GE Aviation plans to use the ceramic tape at its new CMC manufacturing site in Asheville, N.C., which opened last year. The Asheville facility fabricates CMC shrouds for the Leap engine’s high-pressure turbine section.

GE9X Progress

A technician places CMC material into an oven to melt silicone into a matrix at GE’s CMC plant in Newark, Del. The company is building two factories in Huntsville, Ala., to mass produce materials for its ceramic matrix composite components.

plans. “Establishing the new GE factories in Alabama is a very significant step in developing the supply chain we need in order to produce CMC components in large volume,” said Correa.

Plans call for one plant to produce silicon carbide ceramic fiber. Today, NGS Advanced Fibers in Japan–a joint company of Nippon Carbon, GE and Safran of France–operates the only large-scale SiC ceramic fiber factory in the world. The adjacent GE factory in Alabama will use the SiC ceramic fiber to produce the unidirectional CMC tape necessary to fabricate CMC components.

12 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

alloys, CMCs require less cooling air in the engine’s hot section.

Scientists at GE’s Global Research Centers and GE’s industrial businesses have worked to develop CMCs for commercial applications for more than 20 years. The new Leap turbofan, developed by the GE-Snecma joint venture CFM International, is the first commercial jet engine to use CMCs in the high-pressure turbine. Schedules call for it to enter airline service next year on the Airbus A320neo, and in 2017 on the Boeing 737 Max. Supported by $21.9 million in funding from the U.S. Air Force Research Lab Title III Office, the ceramic fiber plant will license

Meanwhile, GE continues its testing of CMCs for the GE9X, a new 100,000-pound-thrustclass turbofan chosen to power both variants of the Boeing 777X. Using a GEnx test engine at its Peebles, Ohio testing facility, GE in January began ground testing of CMC components in the high-pressure turbine (HPT) and combustor.

Part of the advertised fuelburn improvement in the GE9X will come from what GE advertises as the highest pressure ratios among any commercial engine in production; the 9X design calls for a 60:1 overall pressure ratio and a 27:1 pressure ratio in the high-pressure compressor. Of course, higher pressure ratio means a higher operating temperature in the back of the compressor and high-pressure turbine, necessitating the development of new nickel-based disc alloys and CMCs for the inner and outer combustion liner, the Stage 1 high-pressure turbine shroud and the Stage 1 and 2 high-pressure turbine nozzles.

The design of the 9X calls for the most extensive use of CMCs ever

by GE Aviation. o

Training firm develops a flight sim with sea legs

by Rick Adams toward the rear of the aircraft.

“The pilot needs to understand and learn from every angle.

There can’t be any blind spots,” Reid said.

The Twin Otter is making inroads in emerging markets, and the level-D simulator should help pilots get up to speed more quickly than if they train in the aircraft.

LUIS ENRIQUE SALDANA

Sea Testing

Reid and Pacific Sky corporate pilot Rob McIntyre flew the maneuvers for the flight-test program. They were guided by Anthony Brown of the National Research Council (NRC) Canada Flight Research Laboratory, which was contracted to collect the data necessary for TRU to develop the flight simulation models.

Testing for the wheeled version of the Series 400 was not unlike that for other fixed-wing aircraft and took place around Ottawa last spring. Waterbased landing, taxi and takeoff tests in a variety of weather conditions–from glassy smooth to wave heights up to about one to 1.5 meters (Sea State 4) in 15-knot winds–were conducted near Viking’s modification facility on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. “When landing on water, you can have waves and water currents, which are completely different from the air currents and which are not necessarily viewable from the air; this requires a fair bit of seabased testing to characterize,” said Sion Jennings, NRC Canada flight mechanics and avionics group leader.

The test aircraft was fitted with various sensor equipment to capture data about engine performance, atmospherics, control surfaces and “everything the pilot touches,” about 200 parameters. To highlight the look-down and look-back perspectives, Reid said they used a GoPro video camera positioned near the pilot’s eyepoint during

MARK WAGNER

How do you “back up” in a flight simulator?

Visual system engineers at Textron’s TRU Simulation + Training (Booth N3032) in Montreal are working on that dilemma in the development of the world’s first level-D seaplane flight simulator. When docking a float-equipped Twin Otter, pilots often reverse the aircraft, somewhat like parallel parking your automobile, except on water and with 1,200 horsepower and a 65-foot wingspan. Once alongside the dock, the aircraft nose is pointed toward the lake or sea, ready for the next takeoff.

Before the aircraft reaches that berth, there’s another simulator challenge. The Twin Otter pilot, when landing on water, typically opens the side window of the cockpit and looks straight down when preparing to land on a water surface. “You have to look underneath the airplane to see what the water’s doing. Part of every approach is a landing site inspection at about 500 feet. It isn’t possible with a typical level-D display to see any of that,” explained David Reid, senior production pilot for Viking Air and Pacific Sky Aviation.

Viking is the Canada-based aircraft manufacturer that resurrected the DHC-6 Twin Otter in 2010 after a more than 20-year hiatus. The Viking Series 400 incorporates Honeywell Primus Apex integrated avionics, more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 engines and some composite materials.

When the Twin Otter Series 400 simulator is ready for acceptance early in 2016, extra visual display screens will allow pilots to lower the window, as in the aircraft, literally stick their head out, and look straight down or

The TRU Simulation + Training level-D seaplane simulator takes account of the unique requirements of flying–and landing–that type of aircraft. To that end, the sim is designed to allow pilots to train for waves and water currents in various conditions.

the water landing inspection and docking scenarios.

“There are some differences between aircraft certification testing and simulator testing,” Jennings noted. “In simulator testing, we’re really interested in getting, not rough notions of controllability, but a very fine and precise understanding of the exact control response of the aircraft. That requires a higher data rate and maybe some different maneuvers.”

The matrix of nearly 800 test maneuvers did not include snow and ice scenarios, which are not required by Transport Canada. Nor did they stress the Twin Otter for beyondstall or unusual-attitude conditions. Indeed, Transport Canada does not have any seaplane-specific simulation qualification test guide, so TRU engineers are working with the agency to write the template. “The physics are well known, though: fluid dynamic calculations, buoyancy, the density differences between fresh water and salt water,” said George Karam, vice president and general manager of TRU’s Air Transport division.

TRU will also provide a new low-speed aerodynamic model for the high-lift, low-wingloaded aircraft, which will simulate the wobble from wind gusts impacting the fuselage when the aircraft is on the ground.

One of the unusual aspects of landing a seaplane involves side-loading on touchdown. A wheeled aircraft might skid a little. But, Reid said, “If you touch down a little bit crooked on the floatplane, you’re not putting a small rubber tire with a small footprint onto the water. You’re

putting a keel onto the water, and keels are designed to go in a straight line. If you touch down with a little bit of a side-load on the Twin Otter, you’re going to feel a sideways dig. For folks who are inexperienced and in weather that is approaching the limits of the aircraft’s capability, that sideload can start a chain of reactions, which might end up with the wingtip digging the water (which has happened quite a bit in training using the airplane) and you might end up cartwheeling the airplane. Reid said they were able to sample the dig effect during the flight data tests and will reproduce it in the simulator “so folks can feel what it’s like and be able to work recovery techniques for it as well.”

Michael Coughlin, chief executive of Viking sister company Pacific Sky, said the success of the Series 400 in opening new markets such as China, Vietnam and Russia is driving the business case for the level-D simulator. Most Twin Otter pilots are trained in the aircraft, “which is not very effective” because there is limited exposure to critical failure scenarios. It can take at least three to four years to build sufficient experience to transition to the left seat. Pacific Sky hopes the highly capable simulator will significantly compress the time required to develop Twin Otter captains “so the lack of crews is not a limitation to the aircraft’s growth.”

Pacific Sky will offer the full gamut of training and type ratings, from ab initio to commercial and air transport pilot licenses for both wheeled and float-equipped DHC-6 Series 400s. They expect to train about 200 pilots a year in Vancouver. o

JETEX LAUNCHES FBO PARTNERSHIP IN TOKYO Jetex Flight Support earlier this month started a licensing agreement with Japan’s Air Contrail to provide ground handling services at Tokyo Narita and Haneda International Airports. Under the agreement, Air Contrail will rebrand its existing aircraft handling centers under the Jetex name.

The full range of Jetex services will be available at both airports, marking the Dubaibased group’s entry into the Japanese business aviation market. Air Contrail’s staff will be trained to meet Jetex’s global service standards. The company’s facilities include an executive lounge, as well as customs and immigration, fueling and ground handling support, as well as concierge and security services. Its staff members speak Japanese, English, Korean and Chinese.

“We see great potential in the region and we are excited to extend our global reach there,” said Jetex Flight Support CEO and president Adel Mardini.

“Asia-Pacific is an important market for us and we plan to continue our strategic expansion throughout the region.”

Tokyo is set to host the 2020 Olympic Games and these are expected to drive growth in business aviation traffic. Slot availability at the Japanese capital’s airports has improved in recent years. n

www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 13

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Universal Weather, Satcom Direct forge partnership on satcom service

by Amy Laboda Universal Weather and Aviation (Booth C10429) announced a new alliance with Satcom

Direct (Booth C10134) at this week’s NBAA Convention. The partnership allows Universal

to offer unlimited, fixed-rate satcom and VHF ACARS datalink subscriptions from SITA Universal Weather and Aviation has expanded to VTBD in Bangkok, and now has agents stationed at Phuket, Thailand, as well.

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16 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Member of the Lufthansa Technik Group

for any business aircraft, regardless of avionics. The datalink service is provided by Satcom Direct, and subscriptions can be bundled with online flight planning from Universal Weather and Aviation.

The new service is integrated with the company’s newest mobile app, uvGo. Through uvGo, operators can track the status of their fleets, view aircraft message history, build a trip, file flight plans, and coordinate those plans with Universal’s trip support team–all in one app. If the client chooses, uvGo can be accessed via a website, as well.

“Through uvGo, our clients can manage trips on their own, or send them for coordination through Universal via a single, simple intuitive system that streamlines the process of how missions are managed,” explained Denio Alvarado, senior vice president of global product strategy. “We also took into account that operators wanted an app that is not dependent on a separate website, so our system has been designed to give operators the flexibility to execute key tasks–such as flight planning, weather, fuel pricing, datalink and trip coordination– in just our app, or our website, or a combination of the two.

Whatever they prefer.”

The company also announced that it has expanded its presence in the growing Asia market by opening Universal Aviation Thailand at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, and adding concierge agents for its Hong Kong base. Universal also has its own agents stationed in Phuket, Thailand, to handle trip planning needs throughout the rest of the country. o

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Pilots Bill of Rights gains support

EAA and AOPA have called on their members in recent months to appeal to lawmakers to support the bill. As a result, the bill has reached a “supermajority” co-sponsorship, and the House version had garnered 145 co-sponsors by mid-October. Sens. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)

by Kerry Lynch General aviation advocates are encouraged that Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) has secured a filibuster-proof 67 co-sponsors for the Pilots Bill of Rights 2 (PBOR 2)

bill, S.571, clearing the way to proceed on the measure.

Inhofe, who told an audience at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture in July that his goal was to reach

60 co-sponsors on the bill, appealed to his colleagues in the Senate in late September to back consideration of the legislation “in the next very short period of time.”

were the three co-sponsors who pushed the bill over the 60 mark.

“The Pilot’s Bill of Rights 2 was authored by and for the general aviation community, and it is their persistence with their elected officials that has resulted in more than a majority of the Senate supporting this legislation,” Inhofe said. “This second edition will continue to improve and streamline the antiquated regulatory system faced by GA pilots and industry alike.”

Building on the original PBOR enacted into law in 2012, PBOR 2 would expand the third-class medical exemption to recreational pilots. In addition, the bill would strengthen certificate-holder protections during investigations or enforcement procedures; expedite updates to the Notice to Airmen (Notam) Improvement Program that the original PBOR bill mandated; and provide further Good Samaritan protections, among other measures.

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While the third-class medical exemption remains controversial, the certificate-holder protections have attracted support for the bill from a range of pilot groups, including the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP). Pedro Leroux, president of NJASAP, wrote in support of the bill earlier this year, saying Inhofe’s work is “highlighted by efforts to extend the due-process rights of all certificate holders facing FAA investigation or enforcement action.” The Allied Pilots Association and Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association have offered support too.

Senate backers Joe Manchin (D- W.Va.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) introduced PBOR 2 as an amendment to the Senate version of highway reauthorization legislation, but that effort faltered when the Senate failed to reach agreement with the House on the bill. It is still unclear whether PBOR 2 will be attached to another must-pass vehicle or stand alone. One other possibility is that the third-class medical provision moves forward separately, either as an amendment or standalone bill.

“There’s still a lot of work left to do before third-class medical reform becomes a reality, but we are closer than we’ve ever been before to getting this done,” said Jim Coon, AOPA senior v-p of government affairs. “We’ll continue to look for opportunities to have medical reform language included in other types of legislation that are moving through Congress.” o

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18 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

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Increase

Finding qualified pilots is a concern for nearly a third of the respondents to a recent JSfirm survey. These same respondents anticipate increased hours as they ramp up their operations.

No Increase

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20 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

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11-2

Key business aviation indica- from a single aircraft (38.3 pertors such as flight hours and air- cent) to more than 20 (4 percent). craft acquisition plans appear More than half of the responto be on the rise, but so too are dents (57 percent) are experiencconcerns that a potential pilot ing an increase in flight hours this shortage may be creeping into Whatyear, is with 32.59 percent seeing a the corporate flight department single-digit percentage increase estimated market, a recent survey bythe online and another 17.25 percent seeing aviation job board JSfirm reveals. increase of up to 20 percent. increase inanflight JSfirm late last summer sur- More than 7 percent are seeing hours forincreases 2015? of more than 20 percent. veyed more than 300 business aviation operators on their flyWhen asked about reasons for ing, aircraft purchase and refur- increases, respondents cited new bishment plans, and their views avenues of business, increased about pilot shortages. The survey, fleet, increased capabilities and which had a 99-percent comple- lower fuel prices and “need.” tion rate, predominantly involved “Additional flying hours simNorth American 0operators. ply indicates a good business cli-1 : 32.59% mate,” said JSfirm managing Nearly two-thirds of the0% respondents were solely Part 91 opera- partner Sam Scanlon. “More tions, with the remaining a mix hours flown means more mainof Part 135, both or other types tenance, more demand for addiof operations. Their fleets ranged tional aircraft, more parts being

percent planning to buy a preowned aircraft and almost 20 percent expecting to acquire a new aircraft in the next 12 to 24 months. “We were pleasantly surprised at the results of this question. It validates the increase in

O

31-40%: 1.6 0%

by Kerry Lynch

sold, more people needed for support, more jobs.”0-10%: 3 .59 % That demand also 2was reflected in the survey with more than one-third of the respondents indicating plans to refurbish existing aircraft, another 28

32.5 9%

Operators ahead: Increase look No Increase more purchases, hires 21-30%: 6.71%

41.21%

1 7.25 %

What is the estimated increase in flight hours for 2015?

hours flown and the increase in job postings we see on our website,” Scanlon said.

He agreed that the fact that nearly one out of five indicate plans to acquire new aircraft bodes well for a continuing strengthening throughout the industry. “All these aircraft need to be completed and customized, driving our MRO businesses as well,” he said, adding JSfirm has noted a pick up in MRO hiring. “It’s picked up over the last year.”

As for upgrades, several respondents listed plans to update their avionics, with a few mentioning ADS-B requirements or general new government equipment mandates. About 18 percent of the respondents said they either just acquired new aircraft or have no plans to do so at this time. Only a couple mentioned intentions to sell.

As hiring has picked up though, so has the potential of a pilot shortage. When asked if a pilot shortage is “impacting your operations,” 31.53 percent said yes. The overwhelming majority of those who responded “yes” to the pilot shortage question indicated plans to ramp up flight hours and are operations that have multiple aircraft.

The response did not come as a surprise to Scanlon. Jsfirm has been actively monitoring the pilot shortage debate, and this has been tracking on the company’s job board. “We are seeing more companies from the business aviation sector posting jobs on our site,” he said. “We also see a major increase in airlines hiring, which consumes pilots from the corporate aviation sector. This all contributes to the looming shortage.”

Companies are joining daily to gain access to JSfirm’s 20,000 résumés on file, he added, “It’s competitive. Business aviation operators must focus hard on marketing and attracting pilots; otherwise, it’s going to interfere with their operations,” he said.

“We conducted this survey to check the pulse of the business aviation industry,” added JSfirm manager Jeff Richards.

“This segment is doing well. For our industry to continue trending in this direction, we need to get serious about addressing the pilot shortage.” o

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Opti-Visor system dims cockpits electronically

by Charles Alcock

The Opti-Visor from Vision Systems allows pilots to either dim their visors electronically or to allow the system to manage light levels automatically. One version of the system is powered by transparent photovoltaic cells integrated in the cockpit windows.

22 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Vision Systems (Booth C12545) is introducing its new Opti-Visor, which is an

electronically dimmable visor for the cockpit. Using three buttons on the visor’s polycarbonate surface, pilots can adjust light levels or can opt to have these managed automatically through corrections to the level of tint in the visor.

The new equipment operates without any wiring and has an integrated battery that is rechargeable. Another version of the same unit can be powered by transparent photovoltaic cells integrated into the cockpit windows.

The Vision System dimmable windows installed in aircraft cabins use suspended particle device technology that allows them to be dimmed from completely clear to dark to adjust levels of light and heat getting into the cabin. The equipment helps keep cabins cooler more efficiently by blocking up to 95 percent of heat from the sun. It also blocks around 99.9 percent of UV light, protecting aircraft interiors from fading.

According to the company, the windows also are quieter than other solutions. They have no moving parts, with fully integrated electronic controls, and so maintenance costs and downtime are also relatively low.

In addition to the new touchless option, the windows can be controlled through a touch panel directly on the window, a centralized control panel in the cabin or via a wireless tablet device. The equipment also can be integrated with the aircraft’s cabin management system.

The windows featured at the NBAA show also include the Energia range, which is powered entirely through photovoltaic cells and runs independently of the aircraft’s electrical system. The cells produce enough power to allow the unit to include a map light or USB plug for recharging cellphones.

Vision Systems is based near Lyon in France. It also has a facility in Florida and another in Singapore. The company also produces the Visi-VIP range of in-flight entertainment systems. o

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Embraer

Looking back at the last 12 months

2014

2015

Legacy 450

• At the MEBA show in Dubai, Embraer showcases three jets: the Lineage 1000E, Legacy 650 and Phenom 300.

• Embraer is focusing its efforts on bringing the Legacy 500 and 450 to market. The first Legacy 500 for a Middle East customer is undergoing its customer acceptance process, with the aim of being delivered in December. The $19.9 million Legacy 500 receives EASA validation December 16. The Legacy 450 is halfway through its 600-hour certification flight campaign, and is scheduled to enter service in mid-2015.

• Since delivering the first Legacy in 2002, Embraer has delivered 803 business jets, achieving its aim of becoming one of the industry’s primary players.

Legacy 450, 500 and 650 and Lineage 1000.

•E mbraer is transferring all Phenom assembly to its Melbourne, Fla., facility over the next year. The Melbourne facility can assemble up to 96 Phenoms per year. The plant in Botucatu, Brazil, will continue exporting wings and fuselages for the Phenom 100 and 300.

February 2015

October 2014

• Embraer Executive Jets breaks ground on October 9 for an expansion project at its Melbourne (Fla.) International Airport campus that will allow Legacy 450/500 assembly to begin there in the second half of 2016. The expansion features a 42,000-sq-ft hangar and 35,000-sq-ft paint shop. The company plans to deliver at least one Legacy 500 from the facility in 2016 and has a planned production capacity of six per month.

• At the NBAA show in Orlando, Fla., FAA deputy associate administrator John Hickey hands Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Marco Túlio Pellegrini the FAA Part 25 type certificate for the fly-by-wire Legacy 500. Three Legacy 500s were delivered by the end of 2014.

Marco Túlio Pellegrini, left and John Hickey

November 2014

• Embraer’s new engineering and technology center opens in Melbourne, Fla.

December 2014

• Embraer CFO Jose Antonio De Almeida Filippo is confident that a seasonal increase in fourth-quarter deliveries will help the company meet forecast performance for the entire year.

Lineage 1000

• J.P. Morgan notes that Embraer’s new Legacy 500/450 should drive deliveries for the year.

• The Legacy 500 is nominated for the 2014 Robert J. Collier Trophy, the National Aeronautic Association announces.

Competitor Gulfstream’s G650 is also nominated, and was named the winner in March.

March 2015

• In 2014, Embraer had 116 deliveries worldwide, only three fewer than its 119 in 2013. The Phenom 300 had 73 deliveries, up 13 from the year before, while the Phenom 100 had only 19 deliveries (30 the year before). Three Legacy 500s were delivered in late 2014.

April 2015

• At the ABACE show in Shanghai, the Legacy 500 makes its China debut. Other jets on display are the Legacy 650 and the Lineage 1000E. The 14-passenger 650 (3,900 nm range) can fly nonstop from Beijing to Dubai. Movie star Jackie Chan was China’s first customer for the 650.

The 1000E, Embraer’s largest executive jet, has a 4,600-nm range, enabling it to fly from Shanghai to Anchorage nonstop.

• Embraer expects to establish the first authorized service centers for the Phenom 300 and Legacy 500 in China by the middle of 2015.

• According to a new Embraer market forecast, China is expected to take delivery of 855 new business jets over the next decade. That projection would increase China’s current 2.8 percent share of the world’s business jet fleet to 9 percent.

• Embraer delivers the 100th Phenom assembled at its Melbourne, Fla., facility, just three years after the first light jet rolled off the line there.

May 2015

• Embraer delivered 12 executive aircraft and 20 airliners in the first quarter of 2015, a figure consistent with 2014. The Brazilian airframer expects deliveries of its large executive jets to climb by at least 50 percent year-over-year now that the Legacy 500 is certified.

• At the EBACE show in Geneva, the Legacy 450 makes its European debut. Entry into service is expected in the fourth quarter. “The Legacy 450 is the first jet in its category to replace conventional controls with digital full fly-by-wire technology,” president and CEO Marco Túlio Pellegrini said.

• At EBACE, Embraer highlights its Phenom 100 and 300,

24 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

June 2015

• Embraer is doubling the size of its maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Paris Le Bourget Airport and moving it to a more convenient location. The new site will have street access and shorten the access time for customers.

Up to 12 jets can fit in the new hangar. The facility should open in late 2016. A growing fleet in Europe and Africa, which has 19 percent of Embraer jets worldwide, prompted this expansion.

• There are 69 authorized Embraer service centers around the world. Many of them are ready to service the new Legacy 500 and the Legacy 450 when it enters service later this year.

July 2015

• Embraer’s penetration of the Asia-Pacific region remains relatively shallow, prompting management to commit substantial attention and resources there. The company said it significantly beefed up human resources in the Singapore office to address that market.

• The Legacy 500 is cleared to fly in China after the country’s civil aviation authority issues validation. Jackie Chan, a brand ambassador for Embraer, is set to take delivery of the first 500 by the end of the year.

August 2015

• Embraer receives type certification for its Legacy 450 from Brazil’s civil aviation agency, Agência National de Aviação.

The first delivery of this twinjet is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year. FAA certification for the 450 is expected in the “coming weeks,” with EASA approval to follow.

September 2015

• Embraer delivers the first Legacy 500 for a customer in Mexico. The Brazilian company said the 500 is well suited for the Mexican market because of its runway performance and transcontinental range (3,125 nm). The 500 can take off and land on runways as short at 4,084 feet. About 20 Legacy 500s are now in service since the first one was delivered in late 2014.

• For the first half of 2015, Embraer delivered 45 jets, four fewer than the first half of 2014. The Phenom 300 had 29 deliveries, just one shy of the 30 from 2014.

Dassault Falcon

Looking back at the last 12 months

2014

2015

Falcon 900

landed at 3:45 p.m. Pilots tested handling and systems at 15,000 feet and later reached a speed of Mach 0.80. The 8X will accrue about 500 hours in the flight-test program in the coming months. The cabin interior work was done at the completion facility in Little Rock, Ark.

Falcon 5X

March 2015

October 2014

• Dassault Falcon Jet launches a new aircraft on ground (AOG) response program at the NBAA show in Orlando, Fla. The customer support program will use two companyowned Falcon 900s as rapid-response aircraft–one based at Teterboro airport in New Jersey, the other at Le Bourget in France.

• Dassault is embarking on building a new 77,000-sq-ft MRO facility in Bordeaux, France.

• Dassault Falcon Jet president and CEO John Rosanvallon deemed 2014 a “good year,” as the company’s combined order intake increased 11 percent, to $5.27 billion.

However, Dassault Falcon delivered 66 Falcons in 2014, down from 77 in 2013. There were 27 Falcon 7X deliveries in 2014, down from 43 the year before.

• Dassault Falcon Jet promoted Rodrigo Pesoa to senior director of sales for Latin America. He will focus on South America, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.

November 2014

• Dassault Aviation buys back 810,072 shares held by Airbus Group, reducing the European conglomerate’s minority stake in the French manufacturer from 46 to 42 percent. Airbus pledges a “best efforts” commitment to sell up to 10 percent of Dassault’s share capital by Ju ne 2015, although this percentage increased later.

December 2014

• Falcon jets will soon operate with virtually “paperless” cockpits. The goal is to limit paper to just a few aircraft performance graphs. Dassault recently integrated the Falcon Sphere flight software suite into the aircraft’s electronic flight bags. The system includes takeoff and landing performance modules, which makes it easy to update a runway performance calculation if one parameter, such as an extra passenger, changes at the last minute.

• The Falcon 5X twinjet and Falcon 8X trijet, both large-cabin business jets, are being prepared to fly in the first half of 2015. A full-scale cabin mockup of the 5,200-nm 5X was presented at December’s MEBA show in Dubai. A derivative of the in-service 7X, the 6,450-nm 8X is planned to be able to fly nonstop from New York to Dubai. The 8X was unveiled December 17 at Dassault’s headquarters in France. The firm’s best-selling business jet in the Middle East is still the 7X (50 percent of sales in the region over the last five years).

• At its Saint-Cloud headquarters near Paris, Dassault engineers are making intensive use of the “Falcon simulation bench,” a tool for preparing flighttest campaigns.

January 2015

• The Falcon 8X (first delivery expected late 2016) is sold out until the end of 2017. Moreover, Dassault already has about 50 firm orders.

testing, while the 5X twinjet will roll out in June, with its first flight this summer.

• At EBACE, Rockwell Collins announces that Dassault selected the company to provide its Venue cabin management system for the new Falcon 5X and 8X jets.

• Dassault Aviation has a service center network worldwide of 45 sites, including Le Bourget, France; Wilmington, Del.; Little Rock, Ark.; and São Paulo, Brazil. In 2004, there were only 26 service sites. One in nine of the Falcon 20s delivered are still in operation.

• FalconResponse launches, with the aim to return grounded aircraft to service more quickly.

June 2015 Falcon 8X

April 2015

• At the ABACE show in Shanghai, Dassault displays the Falcon 7X, Falcon 2000 and Falcon 900. China remains the top country for Falcon sales in the region. The French manufacturer announces it expects the new Falcon 8X to achieve a similar acceptance level in the Asia-Pacific region to the 7X. China is the second-largest market for the 7X, behind the U.S. • A t Shanghai, China’s Deer Jet signs an agreement with Dassault Aviation to establish a Beijing service center to provide Falcon jet owners in the region with both line and scheduled maintenance. All Chinese-registered Falcon 7Xs will have access.

• Airbus Group is preparing to sell a 17.5 percent stake (1.61 million shares) in Dassault Aviation by April 24. The move will reduce its holding to approximately 24.5 percent.

This 17.5-percent rate is higher than the 10-percent rate Airbus pledged to divest last November.

May 2015

• At the EBACE convention in Geneva, Switzerland, Dassault announces that Falcon business jet sales are off to a good start in 2015. Three of the Falcon 8X trijets are involved in flight Falcon 2000

February 2015

• Dassault’s new flagship–the Falcon 8X–flies for the first time February 6, seven weeks after the rollout ceremony. It took off at 2 p.m. local time from Bordeaux Mérignac Airport and

26 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

• The Falcon 5X makes its first appearance June 2 at the factory in Bordeaux, France. The 5X will be 50 percent more fuel efficient and cost 30 percent less to operate than competing models. The $45 million jet has a range of 5,200 nm (11 hours, 30 minutes in the air) and a top speed of Mach 0.90. With a large number of 5X and 8X deliveries expected, the completion center in Little Rock, Ark., is in the midst of a major expansion.

• At June’s Paris air show, the Falcon 8X makes its public debut on home territory.

• There were six Falcon deliveries in the first quarter of 2015, three fewer than the nine in the first quarter of 2014.

• Dean Anderson, director of service network and maintenance training, leads a team that is continually improving the Falcon Training Policy Manual, thus significantly reducing the number of customer complaints to senior management.

July 2015

• At its midyear review July 23, Dassault Aviation reports a slowdown in first-half sales (18). The Falcon backlog stood at 108 aircraft as of June 30. NetJets cancelled a bulk order of 20 Falcon 2000s.

August 2015

• ExecuJet Aviation Nigeria, based in Lagos, joins Dassault’s service network.

September 2015

• There were 18 Falcon deliveries in the first half of 2015, down 28 percent from the 25 delivered in the first half of 2014. For the first time in these major surveys, Dassault Aviation no longer specifies delivery totals for individual models but rather consolidates all Falcon sales into one number. Dassault still envisions being able to meet its anticipated delivery total of 65 Falcons for the year.

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Trip support provider UAS boosts Africa, India presence

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UAS International Trip Support last month boosted its presence in Africa by appointing two new station managers in Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Johnson Akinrefon is based at Leopold Sedar Senghor International Airport in the Senegalese capital Dakar. Kitumaini Pourquoi Rukiko is now running the group’s operations at the DRC’s Kinshasa’s N’Djili Airport.

The two new station managers will work with local ground handlers with access to all ramp operations to ensure that UAS’s clients get the support they need. They will supervise all ground handling services and ensure that fuel deliveries are made on time.

On the far west coast of Africa, Dakar is a popular technical stop for transatlantic flights and also is a busy hub for United Nations flights. Akinrefon has more than a decade of experience as a trip support specialist covering locations across west and central Africa, and he is very familiar with Dakar itself.

The fast-growing economy in the DRC has not been matched by adequate aviation infrastructure, leaving operators facing a multitude of difficulties in trying to get the support they need at the country’s airports. Rukiko also has more than 10 years’ experience in ground handling, and is fluent in English, French and Swahili. He also will support operations in neighboring Congo.

In early 2014, UAS (Booth C10424) opened an African headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, with regional offices in Lagos, Nigeria, and Nairobi, Kenya. The company, which has other continental headquarters in Dubai, Houston and Hong Kong, also increased staffing levels across nine key African countries last year.

“We now have people in Senegal, Congo, DRC, Cameroon, Ivory Coast,

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Johnson Akinrefon, left, is UAS’s new station manager in Dakar, Senegal. Kitumaini Pourquoi Rukiko is station manager in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria and South Africa,” said Wynand Meyer, UAS’s regional director for Africa. “And with a goal to have a UAS station manager on the ground in every country in Africa, this is only the latest investment in what will be an extraordinary foothold in the continent.”

Indian Access

Meanwhile, in India, UAS personnel now have full access rights to airport ramps across the country. This had previously been restricted, and the approval from Indian aviation authorities will help the company’s trip support staff to ensure the right level of service for its clients without having to involve third-party help.

According to UAS, aircraft operators visiting Indian airports suffer from a lack of information and transparency relating to their handling needs. Having station managers working directly on the ramps is expected to improve this situation.

In April 2015, UAS opened a permanent office in the Indian capital New Delhi. Since then, UAS has seen a strong increase in demand for its trip support services, which include flight planning, overflight and landing permits, ground handling supervision, fueling, catering and assistance in customs and immigration clearance, hotels and transportation.

“This is a great coup for UAS and our clients flying in and out of India,” said Vinay Garg, UAS regional director for the Indian subcontinent. “Our job is to respond to our clients’ demands, and give them the best service on the ground and in the air.” o TRUMP GUESTS ENJOY STRIP VIEWS FROM CHOPPER

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28 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

The Trump Las Vegas hotel and condo complex is offering customers sightseeing tours over the Las Vegas Strip. The flights are operated by Maverick Helicopters from its base at Henderson Executive Airport (close to the Trump property), using single-engine Airbus Helicopter H130s.

The flights are available on special terms to customers purchasing residence packages at the 64-story Trump Las Vegas property. Sightseeing flights with Maverick in Las Vegas are generally priced from around $125 per person.

Expanding its “house car” service, Trump Las Vegas is branding the aerial tour option as its “house helicopter.”

Clients can book flights just a few hours before departure. Residences at the property are priced between $250,000 –C.A. and $3.75 million.

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CRS Spares keeps ’em flying; alerts rescuers; raffles Harley

by R. Randall Padfield

KOBEV INTERNATIONAL

With the stated objective “to seek innovative ways to support parts on out-ofproduction, non-warranty airframes,” Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based CRS Jet Spares is offering new, FAA/PMA-certified thrust reverser ball-screw actuators (P/N 3272570-6) for the Bombardier Challenger 601, 605 and CRJ-200. The parts are on an exchange basis for a flat-rate guaranteed price of $8,500, complete with a twoyear warranty.

“Our goals are the same as legacy aircraft operators,” said CEO Armando Leighton. “We look for ways to provide solutions that include quality parts with cost savings to keep these aircraft flying.”

In other news, the company has been

appointed as the authorized distributor for the See/Rescue streamer, a militaryapproved emergency locating device. It is essentially a long, bright orange stripe made out of polyethylene plastic that rolls out and floats on the surface of water and works equally well on land. The See/ Rescue Streamer, which lights up for nighttime detection, comes in two sizes: one for personal use (about the size and weight of a cellphone) and a larger size for carrying on aircraft and boats.

Finally, CRS will be holding its 15th annual drawing for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle at NBAA. Convention attendees can visit the CRS booth (C8529) to see if they are eligible for the drawing. o

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30 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

In a ceremony Tuesday at its NBAA exhibit (Booth N5131) Jet Aviation Flight Services accepted the Above & Beyond Safety Award for significant contributions that enhance safety, teamwork and efficiency in the workplace from Grey Owl Aviation Consultants. Flight Services provides Jet Aviation’s aircraft management and charter services in North America, and Grey Owl was contracted to provide its Human Factors in Aviation training.

Earlier in November Jet Aviation’s Hong Kong facility was honored at the inaugural Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) gala awards event in Hong Kong. Jet Aviation received two awards, one for the best aircraft management and charter business, and another for best maintenance and repair services.

“I’m thrilled for the team to see their efforts so conspicuously recognized,” said Barry Collier, managing director and director of operations for Jet Aviation Business Jets, Hong Kong. “Safety and service excellence are our top priorities in all aspects of our operations. Our network of dispatch offices around the world

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by Amy Laboda

Jet Aviation’s Don Haloburdo (left) receives Grey Owl’s Above & Beyond award from Richard Komarniski.

allows us to function globally, but it is a distinct honor for our efforts to be recognized locally.”

Along with the awards, Jet Aviation celebrated its certification by Chinese authorities as a Part 145 approved maintenance facility in Singapore for the support of Chinese registered Bombardier and Gulfstream aircraft.

“This approval marks the start of a new era of Gulfstream support solutions for operators in the region from China,” said John Riggir, v-p and general manager of Jet Aviation Singapore. o

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AV-BASE’S WINAIR AIDS RECORDKEEPING PROCESS AV-BASE Systems (Booth N1611) has been serving the aviation industry for more than 25 years and is at NBAA 2015 demonstrating its WinAir aviation management software, which it positions as “the most cost-effective, easyto-use and structurally integrated maintenance and inventory control software system in the aviation industry.”

“WinAir is a 100 percent aviation-focused, intuitive software solution that provides customers with the ability to implement

industry-proven procedures in their maintenance and inventory control departments,” according to the company. The flexible and scalable solution is suitable for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, and focuses on production control, regulatory compliance, inventory planning and control, job costing/invoicing, maintenance management, reliability and integration with existing solutions.

As a template-based solution, customers have the ability to build aircraft-specific

maintenance templates directly into the software; or for a more turn-key implementation, opt for pre-built templates from MPLAN Solutions, with which AV-BASE has an exclusive partnership. AV-BASE Systems also offers value-added services such as audits completed by their knowledgeable auditors. These audits provide recommendations on how to improve efficiencies of company processes and practices and reduce maintenance-related expenses.

“For potential customers, a pre-implementation audit is the most effective way to have a successful WinAir implementation,” said WinAir. In the coming months, AV-BASE Systems will be releasing its latest solution, WinAir Version 7. This is a completely browser-based application that is designed to meet the evolving needs and complexities of the industry. A sneak peek is being offered at the AV-BASE booth dur–J.C. ing the NBAA show. ­

CORRECTION: AIN published an incorrect version of this story in yesterday’s issue of NBAA Convention News. This is the correct version.

Ali Alnaqbi, founding chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (left), is preparing for the 2016 MEBAA show in Dubai with show organizer Michele van Akelijen.

MEBAA eyes Africa for its expansion plans

by Charles Alcock Despite security concerns and stagnant oil revenues, the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) remains optimistic about growth prospects for the region. Next year it will host the 10th MEBAA show in Dubai (December 6-8), where the group is headquartered, and it has just announced dates for the second edition of its new MEBAA Show Morocco, which will be staged from Sept. 11 to 13, 2017.

According to MEBAA founding chairman Ali Alnaqbi, there are now more than 1,100 business jets across the Middle East and North Africa, with around 500 of these being registered in countries outside the region. The group estimates that the business aviation market in that part of the world will be worth around $1.2 billion annually by 2020, when traffic is expected to spike as Dubai hosts that year’s World Expo.

“Today, in Dubai, we have in the region of 8,000 to 10,000 movements a year and we would like to double that by 2020,”

Alnaqbi told AIN. MEBAA has intervened in discussions between ground handling providers frustrated by plans to require them to share a common-use executive terminal at the new Al Maktoum International within the Dubai World Central development (now being rebranded as Dubai South).

This facility is set to open around in April or May 2016, but individual FBOs are insisting that they ought to have the option of developing separate buildings.

According to MEBAA (Booth N927), North Africa currently accounts for around 15 percent of the overall regional business aviation market. The group believes it can stimulate growth there, which is why it staged the first MEBAA Morocco show in Casablanca in September.

While conceding that the logistics of launching the event were challenging, Alnaqbi said that participation exceeded expectations, attracting 57 exhibitors and more than 2,000 visitors.

Morocco currently sees around 11,000 annual business

aviation movements, with about half of these being in Marrakech.

MEBAA views Algeria as another promising market in North Africa. By contrast, given their ongoing security problems, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt remain stalled in terms of business aviation growth.

The past year has yielded some results from MEBAA’s lobbying efforts. In the United Arab Emirates, authorities adopted nine recommendations from the group to amend operating requirements that were not considered practical for the business aviation community. Restrictions on flight crew duty times were amended “significantly,” according to Alnaqbi. The group also prevailed on authorities to switch the obligation for complying with advanced passenger information from the FBOs to the aircraft operator.

Efforts to persuade authorities across the Middle East region to adopt more appropriate regulations for business aircraft operations have also been conducted in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Sudan and Morocco. For now, it has had to abandon its efforts to create a more favorable environment at Irbil in northern Iraq.

Alnaqbi said that contact with Moroccan authorities at the show in Casablanca resulted in recognition on the regulators’ part that the process for securing an air operator certificate (AOC) in that country remains excessively burdensome. There are currently only four AOC holders in Morocco.

The 2016 MEBAA show is expected to be the largest yet, with scope for around 20 percent more exhibit space in its new location at Dubai World Central. The event will feature a program of workshops, including one on the IS-BAO operating standards. o

32 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

New Bell VIP options designed to lure market

by James Wynbrandt The oil and gas sector may have the rotorcraft industry in the doldrums, but demand for VIP-configured helicopters is percolating, and Bell Helicopter (Booth N2132) is showcasing its offerings for the executive vertical lift market here at the NBAA Convention.

Leading Bell’s display is a mockup of the MAGnificent VVIP cabin interior developed with Mecaer Aviation Group (Booth N2516) for the Bell 429 GlobalRanger, which brings a new level of luxury to the lighttwin category. “This class of

unveiled in 2013, and 80 percent of them will be operated as owner-flown helicopters, Moulay said. Certification is expected early next year.

The Bell 407, which Moulay described as the company’s “bread and butter for many years,” has also been “very strong” in the VIP market this past year. “It’s the only [light helicopter] with club lounge seating,” which some customers prefer, in contrast to the open cabin designs competitors in the class offer. On display here is a 407GXP, introduced earlier this

VIP passengers in Bell Helicopter’s GlobalRanger 429 expect a more jet-like luxury interior, and Bell v-p of global sales Patrick Moulay plans to deliver exactly that.

customer wants a more jet-like standard in terms of comfort, and they’re willing to pay the price,” said Patrick Moulay, Bell’s v-p of global sales and marketing.

That price is “about 30 to 40 percent more expensive than a standard 429 interior,” based on desired appointments, he said.

Bell expects to sell from five to 10 429s with the deluxe interiors annually. A Bell 429WLG, which features optional retractable landing gear, is also being shown here.

Also highlighted is the Bell 505 Jet RangerX light helicopter. A clean sheet update of the popular Bell 206 JetRanger, more than 350 orders have been placed since the Jet RangerX was

year, which features a Garmin G1000H glass cockpit.

Meanwhile, the in-development Bell 525 Relentless flyby-wire medium lift helicopter, designed for the utility market, is drawing “stronger than expected” interest from VVIP buyers, as well, accounting for some 10 to 15 percent of orders, Moulay said. “Each aircraft is going to be different from the others. The VVIP customers who can afford this kind of product are not going to buy anything off the shelf.”

Certification is expected in 2017, when deliveries to utility customers will commence, with the first VIP configuration deliveries expected in early 2018. o

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One Aviation MROs Keep Eclipses flying

by Mark Huber Hangar 4 is full. That’s not unusual and hasn’t been for the last six years at Chicago Executive Airport, where One Aviation’s Eclipse Aerospace unit maintains one of its two factory-owned service centers.

“We’ve been busy for six years,” said One Aviation president Ken Ross. Ross is part of the team that rescued the original Eclipse Aviation from bankruptcy in 2009 and has helped run the company ever since. Eclipse combined forces earlier this year with Kestrel Aviation to form One Aviation (Booth C13216).

“After almost seven years now people should start having more comfort with us. This company continues to improve the product and grow,” Ross told AIN. “Last year we delivered 14 airplanes, not counting the [remanufactured] Total Eclipses and Special Editions, which were another eight. So cumulatively we’re pushing over 20 aircraft.

This company, while finishing and modifying the airplane, was also selling remanufactured airplanes. We’ve had a lot on our plate. We’ve grown the fleet from 260 to 282 and we’ve touched almost every airplane and finished them and taken them further than originally designed.”

Now One Aviation is focusing on the marketing of new Eclipse 550s, Ross explained, “letting the world know that we’re out there.

We outsell the Mustang and the Phenom 100 when you add our remanufactured airplanes. We are really competing against the TBM 900 when you look at our niche.”

He thinks Eclipse would sell even more units if it weren’t for the stigma attached to obtaining a type rating, which he thinks is overblown. “Our type rating is really an easy program, and we have a great safety record. The training is easy and simple: the aircraft has many redundant systems that lower pilot workload to make it very, very easy.

I think our space will grow. I think the new Cirrus jet will make our space grow. Those pilots who want to fly a jet will realize that flying a slow single-engine jet that needs a parachute versus flying a twinengine jet that flies higher and faster above the weather, and that burns less fuel–they will end up with an Eclipse jet at the end of the day.”

Ross said that getting a competent pilot up to speed in an Eclipse is not difficult. “We can take a pilot who has a singleengine instrument rating and type them in the aircraft and at the same time give them their multiengine instrument rating.

We’ll do that in the aircraft at the same time because the aircraft has very benign characteristics for a multiengine aircraft.

There is no adverse yaw. We had one customer with as little as 198 hours’ total time be certified and typed in the aircraft. One of our European distributors went from a Cirrus to the Eclipse. She is a tremendous pilot. It is an aircraft that lends itself to the training environment.”

Airline Ab Initio Training

The Eclipse jet will likely be used for airline ab initio training in the coming years, Ross asserted. “We have been in talks with the U.S. military to use the Eclipse as a trainer as well.

If people are going to learn on EFIS and glass cockpits, they might as well learn on it from the beginning versus the traditional way from a single-engine piston to the turboprop and then a jet,” he said.

Almost all of the original 260 legacy Eclipses in the field have received substantial upgrades over the years, including the Innovative Solutions & Support-based Integrated Flight Management System (IFMS) avionics suite or the more recent Plus Package, which includes items such as new cockpit hardware, software, anti-skid brakes and glass-faced windscreens.

“Today two-thirds of the fleet is upgraded to IFMS or greater,” Ross said. “There are about 40 planes total that have the Avidyne avionics. Some have the Garmin 400s, which act as the navigation system for ILS and GPS approaches. Upgrading those airplanes to the Plus package will run for $700,000 on up. A lot of those airplanes are on the secondary market, and the new buyers come in and do the upgrades.

When they are done they have an all-in cost that is extremely competitive with a [remanufactured] SE or a new 550. Those airplanes come with three-year warranties and three-year maintenance plans. Those are the highest in our industry and in our class;

One Aviation’s Eclipse maintenance facility in Chicago is chock-a-block with aircraft in for routine service. Worldwide, Eclipse lays claim to resolving 98 percent of AOG issues within 48 hours.

no one else offers that. Our new airplanes come with a five-year warranty and a five-year maintenance plan. All scheduled maintenance and inspections are covered by the factory. We think that is the most attractive maintenance program and warranty in the industry.”

Ross said Eclipse is deferential to owners who have been with, and at times suffered with, Eclipse from the start. “Those who have significantly invested in the airplane and still own them had preferred pricing [on upgrades]. The intent always was to recognize that customer first and treat them with respect for sticking with the company through its turbulent years prior to our acquisition.

Since that time 30 to 35 percent

of the fleet has changed hands and has new owners.”

Eclipse is continually improving its product support, according to Ross. “Ninety-eight percent of our AOGs are solved within 24 hours domestically, 48 hours worldwide. We are continually trying to lower prices on a variety of items including batteries and other high-utilization items.

We have customer service reps in Albuquerque and Chicago. When you call our toll-free number it is usually out of Chicago.”

Eclipse has additional nonowned service centers in the U.S., in Boca Raton, Fla., and San Diego and others in Johannesburg, Dubai, Istanbul, Germany, UK and Holland.

The Eclipse jet is certified in

46 countries, and 92 are flying internationally from Singapore to South Africa. “We’re pretty well dispersed,” Ross said.

At the Chicago service center, he said, “We touch about 20 percent of the fleet. At both factoryowned locations–Albuquerque and Chicago–we’ll have 20 airplanes at any given time, doing service and performing remedial upgrades, or converting some aircraft to Special Editions. We’ll run through a third of the fleet at this location annually and probably the same in New Mexico.”

The Eclipse jet, he concluded, “is a very sophisticated little airplane. There’s never been a Part 23 airplane with autothrottles, and we’ve added anti-skid brakes.” o

TrainingPort custom online courses help keep bizav personnel up to speed

by Harry Weisberger Canadian online business aviation training company TrainingPort is at the NBAA show (Booth N924) to acquaint flight managers with its online source for customized safety training. Based near Vancouver, the company was founded in 2005 by Scott Macpherson, a 25-year corporate aviation pilot and manager. TrainingPort was designed to meet operators’ needs for a straightforward, online method for pilots to maintain currency, and it does so by offering concise, 15-minute lessons accessible on any computer platform.

Macpherson was responsible for helping his own flight department receive IS-BAO registration from the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). As an aviation manager and chief pilot, he saw the need for a single source for all the recurrent safety-training elements found in standards such as IS-BAO’s,

34 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

and also required by regulators and insurance underwriters.

Macpherson is vice chairman of the IBAC governing board, a past director of the Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA) and currently captains a Falcon 900LX. He launched TrainingPort in 2006.

The availability of online training has helped Canadian business aviation operators navigate a series of regulatory changes, which first saw the CBAA gain business aviation certification and oversight functions and now will have Transport Canada reassert oversight of operator certificates by May 2016. Canada is the only jurisdiction that requires operators to have a safety management system (SMS), and this means that regular training is required.

TrainingPort works with an international team to develop and update its course offerings throughout the year to

meet new regulations or standards. Historically, much aircraft and non-aircraft training is concentrated into one or two annual training sessions at a flight simulator training center or at home base whenever all the pilots could be gathered together.

With TrainingPort, flight departments can offer training at any time, whenever it’s convenient for pilots, whether at home base or while waiting at an FBO pilot lounge on the road, turning fallow time into productive time.

TrainingPort isn’t just for pilots; it also offers training for ground handlers, technicians, cabin attendants, flight coordinators and flight operation managers and other personnel.

The company manages all the course scheduling and training records (including test scores and other metrics), and these are available to flight department managers for audit purposes. o

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Encompassing just less than 18 acres, the FBO campus at KFWA is owned and operated by the airport authority. Management decided that it was more cost-effective to take over management of the FBO than to place the contract out for bid.

Fort Wayne airport takes over FBO duties

by Curt Epstein Though it isn’t slated to open until January 1, visitors here at NBAA 2015 can get a sneak peak at the Fort Wayne Aero Center, the newly built FBO at Indiana’s Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport (FWA). The Avfuelbranded location is owned by the local airport authority, which decided it would construct its own FBO and assume general aviation services at the airport, rather than launch a request-forproposal (RFP) process from the industry at large.

The $4.2 million facility occupies nearly 18 acres at FWA, including more than 13 acres of ramp. It features a 12,000-sq-ft, two-story terminal with a passenger lounge, pilots lounge with snooze room, workout room, showers, a pair of a/v-equipped conference rooms seating eight and 20, a fully equipped catering prep kitchen, onsite car rental, crew cars, concierge and Wi-Fi. The FBO is located on the west side of the airport near the general aviation hangars.

While Atlantic Aviation has operated as the lone FBO at the airport since 1988, its current facility on the north side of the field is slated to be demolished when the company’s lease expires at the end of the year, paving the way for a planned expansion of the neighboring airline terminal. Atlantic offered to build its own multimillion dollar replacement facility in a new location, but that was declined.

“We did evaluate the typical lease environment where you have to write an RFP, let somebody bid on it and you pick the most advantageous person. We also evaluated having a company come in and perform services on behalf of the airport in a

contract management environment,” airport manager Scott Hinderman told AIN earlier this year.

He added that the airport board thought that the “proprietary exclusive” idea was the most advantageous way for the airport authority to provide FBO services at FWA. “Atlantic has been here for a long time, and it has done the community very well,” he noted. “It’s just that at the end of the term of the lease, we’re going in a different direction.”

Atlantic currently leases its fuel farm, which will revert back to the airport and serve the new FBO once the lease expires on December 31. The current FBO controls approximately 100,000

sq ft of hangar space, which can accommodate the latest generation of ultra-long-range business jets. An additional 100,000 sq ft of airport-owned hangar space will fall under the control of the new FBO when it takes over next year.

While the airport authority has managed the FBO at smaller Smith Field since 2008, Hinderman acknowledged that it is nowhere near the scope of operations at FWA. Six weeks ahead of its scheduled opening, staffing of the facility has been completed, according to general manager Jeff Van Slyke, who will be on hand to answer questions at FWA’s booth in the Avfuel display (C8816). o

ESTERLINE CMA-6800 RECEIVES CANADA TSO

Starting the first day of 2016, visitors to Fort Wayne-Allen County (Ind.) Airport will be deplaning at an all-new FBO facility.

The $4.2 million project includes this 12,000-sq-ft, two-story terminal with passenger lounge (left), pilot lounge (right) and more.

SPIRIT AERONAUTICS ISSUED FANS STC FOR CHALLENGER 604 A new STC is now available from Spirit Aeronautics (Booth C9229) for FANS (future air navigation system) 1/A, ADS-C (contract) and controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) in the Challenger 604 equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics.

The STC uses the existing FMSs and control display units and includes a new Rockwell Collins CMU1000 communications management unit and L-3 Aviation FA2100 cockpit voice recorder, which is needed to store the data messages that are central

to FANS operations, typically over the North Atlantic.

“This is what Challenger operators have been waiting for, and it is truly one of those occasions where they better move fast to reserve a slot because the equipment and capacity levels will be stretched to the limits to meet the mandated deadlines. There are simply more aircraft that need FANS upgrades than installation facilities and equipment OEMs can keep up with,” said Tony Bailey, president and COO of Spirit Aeronautics.

–M.T.

36 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Customers can now purchase the Esterline CMC Electronics CMA6800 replacement display; the company has received Transport Canada technical standard order (TSO) design approval for the new display, and the approval is also recognized by the FAA. The LCD-based CMA-6800 is a form, fit and functional replacement for Honeywell ED-800 cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays. The new unit “retains the use of existing symbol generators and control panels, with no retraining required,” according to Esterline.

Weight savings is about four pounds per display, and the CMA6800 will cost far less over its lifetime than trying to keep the older CRTs flying.

Within the next few months, Esterline expects to receive an FAA Part 25 approved model list (AML) supplemental type certificate for installation of the CMA-6800 in the Citation III/V/VII, Hawker 800, Falcon 900 and Bombardier Dash 8.

“CMC’s goal is to help customers solve their aging CRT problems,” said Patrick Champagne, vice president of products and display solutions, Esterline CMC Electronics (Booth C12838). “Our solution provides operators with reliable and cost-effective display capabilities in a unit that delivers reduced weight and power consumption. The CMA-6800 LCD display is designed to drive down maintenance costs and eliminate obsolescence problems with CRT technology.” –M.T.

No end in sight to VIP TFRs

TFRs. Brown explained that there is a balance between providing time for coordination and awareness but still providing protection. “Too much

by Kerry Lynch advance notice works against protecting Three years ago, NBAA faced one procedures and earlier notification as the individual that needs protection,” he of the most difficult security scenar- among the efforts it uses to minimize pointed out. ios to affect its convention. President TFRs. “Striking the right balance The FAA, which posts TFRs, Obama, hoping to make a last-min- between airspace access and airspace requires pilots to be “well aware of ute appeal to Floridian voters before security remains one of our top pri- notams [notices to airmen] along their the November election, had planned orities,” the FAA said. But while the route of flight, including those for shortto fly into Orlando on the eve of the FAA issues the TFR, it may not have notice TFRs.” It works to disseminate as late-October NBAA Convention. authority to limit the TFR or provide much information as possible and looks The event threatened to severely relief. The business aviation commu- to organizations such as NBAA or the curtail access to Orlando Executive nity, even operators vetted through Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Airport–site of the static display for programs such as Twelve-Five or the to help with early warnings. NBAA also the convention–in the two days lead- DCA Access Security Program, still tries to get involved early in the cooring up to the big event. do not have the same access as com- dination. It has a nearly front-row seat NBAA worked closely with the mercial carriers. “We are not there with its GA Help Desk representative FAA and security chiefs leading up yet,” Brown said. stationed at the FAA Command Center. to the convention to miniThis facilitates an ongoing diamize the impact, and shortly log with FAA officials. before the event, the temEarly warnings may porary flight restriction become more difficult as the (TFR) was curbed to about next presidential election seaa 24-hour period. Several son kicks off. In 2012, the hours into the TFR, it was number of VIP TFRs, typicancelled. Hurricane Sandy cally involving the president, and other pressing needs in jumped significantly, reaching Washington forced President 496. That was nearly 60 perObama to cancel the schedcent more than the 305 VIP uled trip to Orlando.

TFRs in 2014.

While the effects were ultiThe number of TFRs mately minimized, the TFR over the next year may not served as a sharp reminder of match that of 2012 because the uphill battle business avian incumbent is not running. ation continues to face with TFRs, however, may become more unpredictable as they the so-called “pop-up” or “VIP” TFRs. are based on risk assessments, “That was one for the and the risk could vary greatly, record books,” recalled NBAA depending on the candidate, COO Steve Brown. But he events surrounding the canadded that TFRs remain didates and whether the presproblematic for the industry. ident or other notable officials “We know that there’s plenty play a role. to work on [with TFRs].”

As Pope Francis arrived in The ultimate goal is to the East Coast, Chinese presensure access to airports and/ ident Xi Jinping was kicking or fly-through TFRs, he said. VIP temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), such as this one over San Diego, off a weeklong U.S. visit on The business aviation com- have pilots seeing red with frustration. With the coming election, there the West Coast, but he did munity has offered numerous will be more. not require the same extent proposals, incorporating varof security precautions as ious security programs and/or protoWhile the FAA regulates airspace the President. The popularity and cols, to gain access. But, Brown said, access, most of the TFR conversations nearly unprecedented attention on “We’ve had very limited success.” involve law enforcement, which is more this papal visit drew heightened That’s not to say there hasn’t been focused on security than guaranteeing security attention that rivaled that some improvement, he added. “It’s got- access. Turnover of leadership at those of President Obama. ten a lot better over time.” The improve- agencies requires a constant education Brown, however, expects that TFRs ments have been incremental, such as effort, Brown noted. While the dialog will pick up as the election draws near making the TFRs shorter in time span, doesn’t change, “it lengthens” every time next year, especially once the major narrower in scope and sometimes less a new person steps into a key law enforce- parties select their nominees. In the encompassing geographically. ment position. interim, the association plans to keep The community still grapples with working with agencies such as the Striking a Balance expansive TFRs such as the one put TSA, FAA and others to help keep The FAA, which issues the TFR in in place with the recent papal visit, the TFRs reasonable. “It’s an ongoconcert with requests from security involving a 30-mile restricted access ing challenge,” he said. agencies such as the Secret Service radius and gateway requirements As for FAA, the advice has not and/or Transportation Security and/or prohibitions of general avi- changed: “Pilots should always monAdministration, said it “continues to ation flights at certain airports in itor TFRs and all other notams before work with its government, industry New York, Philadelphia and the they fly. They need to be particularly and general aviation partners to pro- Washington, D.C. areas during spec- aware of events in the areas in which vide maximum access to America’s ified periods. they are flying.” o airspace while also enabling critical The FAA had provided nearly a homeland security, national defense month’s advance notice that it was planand law enforcement operations.” ning an expansive TFR in Philadelphia.

The agency cites collaboration on That much advance notice is not always concepts such as gateway screening available, particularly for presidential

Bob Showalter takes NBAA lifetime honors

by Amy Laboda

FBO veteran Bob Showalter’s facility hosted the NBAA static nine times.

Bob Showalter, the retired chairman of Showalter Flying Service, is being honored this year as the recipient of the Doswell Award, recognizing his lifelong achievement on behalf of and in support of business aviation. The award is named for Jack Doswell, a renowned World War II combat veteran, business aircraft pilot and flight operations director who was actively involved in NBAA on numerous levels.

Showalter Flying Service began as a venture with family and friends, brothers Howard and J. Sandy Showalter and Ford “Buck” Rogers on 100 acres of land in Winter Park, Fla., and it was meant to be a countryclub like airpark. World War II had just ended, and aviation was predicted to be “the next big thing.” At one point Showalter Flying Service could still be found at the airpark, as well as Orlando-Sanford and Orlando Executive airports. The FBO consolidated at Orlando Executive airport in the early 1950s, because the opportunities for growth were strongest there.

Showalter grew up in Winter Park and went to school at Rollins College, located there, eventually earning a master’s in business administration degree. He gathered experience in aviation management as vice president of operations, in charge of 26 FBO locations for Butler Aviation–at the time the largest FBO chain in the country–before returning to Orlando and Showalter Flying Service. The FBO was sold to Atlantic Aviation in early 2015. Showalter is now chief pilot for a new family endeavor, Showalter Aviation and Marine, a sales and flight services business.

Beyond his FBO Showalter has been a dedicated advocate for business aviation. Under Showalter and his family’s leadership, Showalter Flying Service hosted the static display for NBAA’s convention in Orlando nine times. “Bob Showalter is one of the reasons NBAA’s convention always felt at home in Orlando,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.

“Throughout his career, he’s demonstrated a passionate dedication to the industry,” Bolen continued.

Showalter was the youngest chairman of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), and twice served as president of the Florida Aviation Business Association.

At NBAA he was a member of the Security Council. He has also served 18 years on the Board of Visitors for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Foundation. Showalter has more than 20,000 flight hours and has flown relief missions in his 1974 Piper Aztec, receiving NBAA’s American Spirit Award in 1996, among many other awards. n

www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 37

Bizav backs a global emissions plan The U.S. business aviation community is urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to “respect global efforts” as it proceeds with a rulemaking that would establish an aircraft emissions standard. Business aviation leaders have been encouraged that the EPA has taken steps to work in tandem with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on developing a global emissions standard and proceed with rulemaking accordingly.

But they are also concerned that the agency has not ruled out the possibility of moving ahead separately, something environmental groups are seeking.

In June the agency issued a proposed finding that greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from certain aircraft engines endanger public health and welfare and released an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking discussing the possibility of regulating aircraft carbon emissions. The endangerment finding was mandated by Congress and clears the way for the EPA to work with ICAO on a global standard for aircraft emissions of carbon dioxide.

The EPA had solicited input

on a number of issues on potential emissions regulations, from weight thresholds to use of the metric system to whether the standard should apply only to newdesign aircraft or extend to aircraft already in production. The agency also asked whether it should move forward with a standard that is more stringent than the international standard. The comment period closed August 31.

Industry Reaction

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) believes it is too soon to discuss specifics such as whether to apply potential new regulations to in-production or only new-design aircraft since ICAO has not concluded its deliberations on a global standard.

ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) is expected to issue a final global emission standard in February, and some of these issues are under discussion now.

Both GAMA and NBAA have supported the effort to set an international standard through a venue such as the CAEP. The associations noted that the business aviation community has

pledged to support three key goals that would coincide with a global standard: achieving carbon-neutral from 2020 onward; improving fuel efficiency by 2 percent a year from 2009 to 2020; and reducing CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050 (relative to 2005 numbers).

In comments to the EPA, GAMA reiterated that it “strongly supports the development of an international aircraft CO2 emission standard at ICAO,” and also said it understands that the EPA endangerment finding is a requisite step in the development of U.S. regulation. But GAMA also added that it is essential that the U.S. allow the international community to complete its work.

Unilateral Approach

NBAA expressed a similar concern: “Any recommendations for changes in aviation emissions or stringencies must flow from internationally developed and supported standards.”

NBAA noted the EPA’s work in concert with ICAO and added, “with less than six months remaining in the group’s deliberations, we are

NASA EARTH OBSERVATORY

by Kerry Lynch

According to NBAA, GAMA and others, business aviation accounts for only a sliver of the offending contrails visible in this NASA satellite image.

puzzled by the EPA’s pre-emptive efforts to develop a U.S. standard in the absence of the CAEP’s recommendations.”

The association acknowledged that the EPA has come under pressure from environmental groups to move ahead more quickly than the international effort. When the EPA released its proposals, Earthjustice attorney Sarah Burt had said, “Given the magnitude of the contribution of aircraft to climate change, the tentative approach that the EPA is considering is not up to the task. Instead of using its Clean Air Act authority to reduce these harmful emissions, the EPA proposes to follow the lead of the ICAO and set a ‘business-as-usual’ standard that will

WHITE PHOSPHOR AMPS UP NIGHT VISION GOGGLE RESOLUTION It’s a safe bet that Aviation Specialties Unlimited (ASU) president Jim Winkel’s favorite color these days isn’t green. At last year’s NBAA show, ASU introduced its white phosphorous display system for night vision goggles (NVG), which have traditionally used green displays.

This year, Winkel, along with Dr. Joe Estrera, ASU’s vice president and chief technology officer, are trying to get the industry to see things their way, which is white instead of green.

“It’s as simple as this,” Winkel explained.

“The amount of information conveyed through the human optic system by a green phosphor display is very limited when compared to white phosphor.” He pointed out that white light is a combination of light from throughout the visible spectrum. “That greatly reduces the pink or brown afterimage so many NVG users complain about after missions that last as little as 90 minutes,” he said, adding that for operators who depend on NVG for nighttime law enforcement, air ambulance and rescue operations, white phosphor affords better resolution.

But even though ASU’s white phosphor NVG display offers more detail and less eye fatigue, Winkel said, not everyone is convinced that white is better than green. A tryout can make all the difference, he said. “At shows like NBAA, HAI and NightCon, people have stood in line for 30 minutes or more to see the demonstration. The first word out of their mouths when they see the white display for the first time is almost invariably, ‘Wow!’”

But a year after it was introduced, is the industry as a whole converting to white phosphor?

Not so much, Winkel admitted. “Green is what they’re used to after all these years. And some have legitimate concerns that would apply to any new product: standardization, maintainability and user fatigue.”

That is where Estrera comes in. Backing his Green Phosphor

White Phosphor

ASU president Jim Winkel is here to show NBAA attendees that his company’s white phosphor nightvision-goggle technology (on the right side of both photos) offers better resolution than green goggles.

Green Phosphor

White Phosphor

38 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

answers with research and drawing on almost three decades in the NVG business, Estrera points to tests that show white phosphor displays (technically referred to as P-45) are indeed less fatigue-inducing than green (which he refers to as P-43). “And because green is only one of the colors embedded in white, P-45 literally provides more information to the brain,” he said.

“You get information from the eye’s blue receptors as well, providing more contrast and more visual acuity. In all, we found a major improvement; P-45 simply provides better resolution.”

Like Winkel, however, Estrera admitted the proof is in the demonstration of P-45, and “all the data in the world doesn’t take the place of a test drive.”

FAA regulators remain skeptical about the advantages of the white phosphor NVG display, said Estrera. “I don’t think there’s anything negative. With their preliminary approval, they recognize there’s no deleterious effect of white versus green. I think they’re comprehending that it’s at least as effective as P-43. That means it is at least an acceptable option to the green phosphor displays that already exist.”

His job now, Estrera said, is to prove to the FAA, the industry and operators that white phosphor is not only as good as green, but is in fact better.

NBAA attendees who are curious about the issue can stop by ASU’s booth (N717) and see the difference.

–P.C.

lock in emissions increases for decades to come.”

But NBAA reminded the agency of the global nature of the industry, saying it crosses boundaries. “Arbitrarily setting a higher standard will have significant negative consequences that could result in a patchwork of uncoordinated standards, stifle innovation, increase costs and harm U.S. exports,” the association warned.

While reticent to comment on the specifics of a standard, the CAEP has already publicly endorsed one primary philosophy that GAMA urged the EPA to adopt: that the standard would be “technology implementing” rather than “technology forcing.”

“The U.S. aviation industry… has devoted significant resources and lent its technical expertise to ensure that a new international standard is technologically feasible, economically reasonable and environmentally beneficial and considers the interdependencies with other standards,” GAMA said.

As for the endangerment finding, GAMA questioned the data used by the EPA as part of its justification. The EPA uses inconsistent data sources “to portray aviation emissions, past, present and forecast in the worst possible light, while barely acknowledging the significant efficiency improvements in aviation to date,” the association said. GAMA noted that the EPA publishes complete and consistent data on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and yet turns to outside sources for justification.

While the EPA considers regulations, GAMA and NBAA emphasized that business aviation is a tiny contributor to overall emissions. GAMA noted that business aircraft accounted for less than 10 percent of jet fuel consumption in the U.S. in 2013. NBAA estimates that business aviation is responsible for just 0.04 percent of man-made carbon emissions. o

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Universal Avionics unveils new training and software

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Universal Avionics is unveiling the UniLink desktop training software for familiarization with the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) environment during NBAA 2015. The new software, which allows operators to walk through a series of scenarios simulating two-way messaging using FANS technology, is being demonstrated at the company’s booth (N5733).

A drop-down menu in the software’s tutorial control panel provides nine different training exercises: » ATC Log On –the basics of logging on to ATC. » Oceanic Clearance –requesting and receiving an oceanic clearance from CYQX. » North Atlantic Crossing –from KFFL to EGGW. » North Pacific Crossing –from KOAK to RJTT with reroutes. » Weather Deviation –en route from PHNL to KLAX. » Satcom Loss –en route from KVNY to PHTO. » ATC Voice Request –en route from KLAS to PHTO. » Emergency Operations –declaring an emergency en route from PHOG to KTUS. » Free Flight –allows undirected exploration of UniLink FANS messaging.

Allowing for operator preference, the UniLink Trainer simulates both the UniLink Communications Management Unit (CMU) and a four- or five-inch FMS CDU or multi-functional CDU (MCDU).

“This tool provides a great way for operators to familiarize themselves with the operational aspects of FANS using Universal Avionics equipment,” said Carey Miller, Universal Avionics manager of business development.

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Universal is also taking the wraps off a Touch CDU (control display unit) app for its desktop FMS trainer (FMST) software. The app has been submitted to Apple’s App Store, and availability for download is imminent.

Compatible with the iPad, the Touch CDU app acts as a virtual CDU, allowing the operator to interact with the FMST desktop software program. Supporting FMST v1.0 and later, the app includes display options for four-inch flat-panel CDU (FPCDU), five-inch FPCDU and MCDU. It provides all of the interactive functionality of a physical FPCDU such as data entry, line select key selection and function key selection–without the expense of purchasing the physical unit.

“Many civil aviation agencies require certificate holders to have physical key touch for avionics training compliance, but using a real CDU may not be in

Universal Avionics training software allows users to familiarize themselves with the FANS environment in preparation for oceanic operations.

the budget,” said Bob Bruce, Universal Avionics pilot instructor. “Although the FMST has an onscreen CDU that can be operated by mouse or touchscreen with compatible computers, those operators without touchscreen capability need an alternate method,” he added. “The Touch CDU app meets that requirement.”

New CMU Software

Universal Avionics is also here to introduce new software for the UniLink UL-800/801 CMU. SCN 31.0 is designed to provide UniLink UL-800/801 operators with the necessary CPDLC message sets to meet the requirements of Europe’s Link 2000+ mandate. UL-800/801 operators can acquire this additional capability with a software upgrade that requires no hardware changes.

The Link 2000+/FANS solution “provides operators with a high-value solution for near-term mandates at a truly competitive price,” said Dan Reida, Universal Avionics vice president of sales and marketing. “It not only addresses these requirements, but it also provides added operational benefits while positioning you to address future requirements.”

SCN 31.0 supports the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN) Baseline 1 (B1) CPDLC and context management (CM) functions that are the core of Link 2000+ compliance. SCN 31.0 also features FANS/ATN CPDLC message harmonization, addressing industry requirements for operational consistency and human factors for all FANS CPDLC and ATN CPDLC messages for operators flying in both continental Europe and oceanic airspace.

The UniLink UL-800/801 CMU can be installed on many aircraft types, including those equipped with other brands of FMS. For greater installation flexibility, the UniLink UL-801 model has an internal VHF data radio (VDR) that saves weight and space by eliminating the need for a dedicated system. Through the end of this year, operators can trade in their existing datalink system for the UniLink UL-800/801 CMU. o

Sim mimics in-flight emergencies

by Curt Epstein Global medical, safety and emergency training provider Aircare International is bringing a little simulated danger to NBAA’s annual convention in the form of one of its latest full-size aircraft fuselage simulators. The 53-foot-long, full-motion FACTS VIII simulator parked just outside the convention center doors, near the boarding area for busses to the static display, will be staffed by company experts

during the show, offering demonstrations of how to prepare for real-life emergencies, such as hydraulic failure, land and water evacuations, rapid decompression and cabin smoke and fire. The cabin and flight deck are equipped with working emergency equipment, which crews can use during simulations of in-flight emergencies.

“We attempt to eliminate ‘pretending’ during drills,” said Brian Hayvaz, vice

FACTS VIII is the latest and largest full-motion cabin simulator from Aircare International. The device moves to enhance the realism of a simulated emergency. At right, the RVS Plus facilitates video consultations.

president of Aircare FACTS Training. “If the scenario is a smoke-filled cabin, we want the crew to really find that fire extinguisher

TRAVELER CALENDAR October 13–22 THE MOORINGS INTERLINE REGATTA British Virgin Islands. Ten days of “fast-paced sailing and nonstop parties.”

Info: moorings.com October 17–18 WELLFLEET OYSTERFEST Wellfleet, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The 14th annual shellfish celebration includes a shucking contest, live music and arts and crafts.

Info: wellfleetoysterfest.org

the thoroughbred racing season and is surrounded by blowout parties and celebrations.

Info: breederscup.com November 1 NEW YORK CITY MARATHON New York City. Runners are gearing up for one of the Big Apple’s most popular annual events. The 26.2-mile course begins in southern Brooklyn and ends at 138th Street in Manhattan.

Info: tcsnycmarathon.org

October 21 AMERICAN BALLET THEATER FALL GALA Lincoln Center, New York City. Tables were still available at press time.

Info: abt.org

November 8–12 DUBAI AIRSHOW Dubai World Central, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. This event will feature exhibits, flying displays and plenty of networking. Find daily coverage at ainonline.com.

Info: dubaiairshow.aero

October 23–November 1 HILTON HEAD ISLAND MOTORING FESTIVAL Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Several days of automobile excitement for the whole family.

Info: hhiconcours.com

November 17–19 NBAA ANNUAL CONVENTION & EXHIBITION Las Vegas, Nevada. Business aviation’s biggest event offers exhibits, educational sessions and networking opportunities. For daily coverage, visit ainonline.com.

Info: nbaa.org

October 30–31 BREEDERS’ CUP Lexington, Kentucky. This event traditionally ends

November 19–22 DP WORLD TOUR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP Jumeirah Golf Estate, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The

culmination of the European Golf Tour.

Info: dpwtc.com November 27–January 1 NANTUCKET NOEL AND CHRISTMAS STROLL Nantucket, Massachusetts. The town pulls out all the stops for a multi-week extravaganza that will cheer up even the biggest Scrooge.

Info: nantucketchamber.org December 1 UNICEF SNOWFLAKE BALL New York City. One of the most notable black-tie galas in Manhattan with upwards of 700 guests, this event supports UNICEF’s work in more than 190 countries and territories.

Info: unicefsnowflake.org December 2–January 3 ALVIN AILEY New York City. Alvin Ailey will heat up New York with a month of modern dance performances when the dance troupe takes up its annual holiday residence at New York City Center.

Info: alvinailey.org For a long-range events calendar, please visit bjtonline.com/calendar.

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in the dark, remove it from its holder, really pull the pin and squeeze the handle when they find the fire’s source. Doing teaches much better than pretending.”

That sense of realism is enhanced by the movement of the simulator, which is rocked and bumped by hydraulic lifts, and lifted by an airbag system that emulates smooth aircraft movements. The device features a flight deck and an agnostic business aircraft cabin with overwing exits customizable to represent nine different airframes, including the Gulfstream G650. That combination allows for coordinated training between the pilots and the flight attendants.

“We want to teach and train the crewmembers to overcome the stressful situation around them and focus on getting the job done,” noted Hayvaz.

“Clear thinking, quick action and the ability to recall procedures and tasks during an emergency are paramount for a successful outcome.”

Gulfstream Partnership

The Tacoma, Wash.-based company (Booth N3513) also announced that its Aircare Access Assistance product is available as an option on all in-service Gulfstreams as well as on the indevelopment G500 and G600. In the case of an in-flight medical emergency, subscribers will have access to 24/7 live tele-medical assistance from board-certified emergency room physicians anywhere in the world, complimentary medical and first aid training for crews and medical kit provision, tracking and maintenance. An industry-first offering allows live video patient-to-doctor consultations through the upgraded Aircare RVS Plus.

On November 18 Aircare will host an information session to explain the effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on business aviation pilots, flight attendants and mechanics who work in a capacity where they are responsible for their own health care coverage. With the implementation of ACA, all working adults in America are required to carry healthcare coverage or face federal tax penalties. “Those who enjoy the benefit of full-time employment look to their employer for access to ACA-compliant plans,” said Aircare International CEO Jeff Roberts. “But those who distribute their work across multiple employers, or who work too infrequently to qualify for employer-based plans are left to figure things out on their own. We want to provide some guidance.” The one-hour session begins at 2 p.m. in room N203. o

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Comlux adds hangar to boost widebody completion role

by Charles Alcock Sending a strong signal about its plans to expand widebody aircraft completions work, Comlux America last month opened a new hangar at its Indianapolis headquarters. Last week, it moved an Airbus A330 into the hangar, which is ready for the former airliner to be completely refurbished for VIP service.

“Our target is to work on new widebody platforms like [Boeing] 787s, 747-8s, 777s, and [Airbus] A340s, and we can work on one of these at a time,” said Comlux America CEO Scott Meyer. “We won’t be doing A380s.”

The A330 that is about to be refurbished was returned from a Middle Eastern airline that had been operating it under lease, and it recently completed a heavy maintenance event. The new–undisclosed–owner bought it from Airbus and wants the cabin configured for a mix of VIP and higher-density passenger use. It is due to be delivered by Comlux in December 2017.

Comlux is currently working on two green completions projects, one for an undisclosed business jet and the 10:23 otherPM Aerocon_Ad 2015 r.1_Layout 2 3/9/15

a single-aisle airliner being prepared for VIP use that is due to be delivered in the third quarter of 2016. “Now [with the new hangar] we can work on one widebody and two or three narrowbodies, or six narrowbodies in total, all at the same time, and also have room for maintenance work,” explained Meyer.

“Overall, there has been a dip in demand for green aircraft completions and this is for a number of reasons, such as the state of the global economy and the fact that new technology is about to hit the market. Some clients are waiting for the new A320neo and 737 Max to arrive,” Meyer told AIN. “This is putting pressure on the OEMs to sell the current product line, and there are already around 10 to 15 ACJs out there for sale. The anti-corruption campaign in China also isn’t helping the situation.”

Nonetheless, Comlux believes its investments in Indianapolis have positioned it well for a future uptick in completions work. “We now have a fully integrated completions center and don’t have Page to 1 do any work outside, apart from

Air Stairs / VIP Lift / Crew Ladders . Aircraft Interior Noise Reduction System . Thermal / Acoustic Insulation Blankets . Air Conditioning – Air and Liquid Cooling . Auxiliary Fuel Systems . Auxiliary Power Units Installation .

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•

Comlux America recently opened a new hangar at its Indianapolis headquarters to make room for more widebody completion work. The company can now work on widebodies and narrowbodies simultaneously.

full exterior paint work,” said Meyer. “We can do everything, including blended winglets, upholstery, cabin systems, sheetmetal and wood.”

New Mx Approvals

Comlux’s Indianapolis team is also busy with maintenance work that runs right up to the heaviest checks and overhauls. Last month, Boeing appointed Comlux an authorized service center and repair facility for the BBJ family, allowing it to support warranty work. Here at the NBAA show, Airbus is announcing the appointment of Comlux as a new authorized service center. The company already has this status with Bombardier (covering all aircraft types apart from the Learjet 70 and 75).

“It’s been a mixed picture in terms of flight activity [and by extension demand

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44 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

for maintenance],” said Meyer. “For instance, the Boeing Business Jets went into service around 15 years ago so there are currently fewer 12-year checks to be done. It’s all very cyclical. Bombardier is now trying to pull more maintenance work in-house [as Boeing and Airbus did for the BBJ and the ACJ, respectively] so that’s become very competitive.”

Meanwhile, Comlux is now offering two supplemental type certificates covering the FANS upgrade for Bombardier Challengers. “This is an important mandate for transatlantic operations, and we have a leg up with our own STCs,” said Meyer.

Comlux America is the U.S. subsidiary of Europe-based Comlux The Aviation Group (Booth N5506), which is also active in aircraft management and charter. o

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sales@aeroconengineering.com

In anticipation of certification for Gulfstream’s G500 and G600, Pratt & Whitney Canada has already developed an Eagle Service Plan for their engines.

P&WC outlines plan for PW800 support

by Dale Smith Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC, Booth C10807) announced a new Eagle Service Plan (ESP) maintenance support program for the PW800 turbofan that powers Gulfstream’s new G500/G600 next-gen largecabin jets.

“We see the PW800 as a premium engine serving a premium market,” said Mike Perodeau, v-p of marketing for business aviation and military programs.

“The ESP is more than a maintenance program. It is about ensuring the most trouble-free levels of operation and reliability while enhancing the value of the owner’s asset. We will have the program finalized well before the engine’s entry into service on the G500.”

The 16,000-pound-thrust PW800 was certified earlier this year. The G500 is fitted with the PW814GA and the G600 with the PW815GA. “The G500 is in a very active flight test program, and by all accounts the engines are performing flawlessly,” Perodeau said. PWC has logged more than 4,000 hours on the PW800, including more than 600 flying on the company’s 747SP testbed.

“The PW800 engine uses a common core with the engines powering the Bombardier C-Series,” he said. “When you look at all the testing that has been done on our geared turbofan engine cores, it’s over 22,000 hours.”

For P&WC, 2015 has been a great year, according to

Perodeau. A highlight was the certification of the PW306D1powered Citation Latitude, which has enjoyed a strong entry into service. “Other programs of note are the ongoing flight-testing of the new Dassault Falcon 8X, which is powered by the PW307D,” he said. “And the outstanding performance of our PW535E on the Embraer Phenom 300. Its reliability is very, very good in the fractional market.

“We’re also seeing the VLJ market remaining relatively soft,” Perodeau said. “All of our engines in that category–the PW617 on the Phenom 100, the PW615 on the Mustang and the PW610 on the Eclipse–are all proving to be reliable and fuel-efficient.”

He said that even with the current challenges facing all of business aviation, P&WC continues its commitment to robust continuous improvement programs across its entire line of turbofan and turboprop engines.

“Even on legacy products, Pratt & Whitney Canada continues to invest in improving overall reliability rates and minimizing downtime for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance,” Perodeau said. “Customers pay a lot of money for their aircraft and they don’t want that asset out of service for any reason. We are extremely mindful of the need to get better and better.” o

Astronautics connectivity strategies incorporate hacker-hardened elements

by Amy Laboda What really concerns those who work on the hardware that keeps business jet cockpits and cabins connected to satellite streams of information in flight?

Hackers. Some might be simply curious as to what kind of information is making the roundtrip between the airplane and its ground-based information servers. Others may have more nefarious intent, however.

“You need more than just firewalls, anti-virus and data encryption when you are dealing with airborne data streams,” explained Chad Cundiff, president of Astronautics Corporation of America (Booth C13547). The company brought its Nexis connectivity hardware to NBAA 2015 and is ready to demonstrate

its security architecture, which is designed with three D’s in mind.

“We want to deter attacks by hackers, defend against them and–very important–we want to detect if an attack is happening,” he added.

The Nexis system takes a multilayered approach to keep airborne systems protected. “We run two different, hardened avionics-grade operating systems on our Nexis server and our Patio router, which makes it more difficult to hack the system.

“We then restrict access to the Patio router to only those devices with known MAC addresses that are properly credentialed.

Finally, we demand that portable device users log in with those credentials, and if they

log in with the wrong credentials three times, the system will refuse the device and send a message to the pilots that there is a problem device trying to get on the network,” Cundiff explained.

Most important, though, the system also watches the data stream both inbound to the airplane and outbound to the satellite, looking for anomalies that could be an attack in progress. It logs the anomalies and presents alerts to the pilots that help them make threat-assessment decisions.

“Today there are security best practices, and we follow those, but there is no rulemaking pertaining to airborne connectivity security,” Cundiff told AIN. “We are positioning to be at the forefront.” o

NEWS CLIPS z Rick Smith and Earl Kessler Join Guardian Jet Guardian Jet of Guilford, Conn., named Rick Smith and Earl Kessler as regional sales leaders. “We couldn’t be more pleased to have Rick and Earl join our team,” said Don Dwyer, managing partner and co-founder of business aviation brokerage Guardian Jet (located at the Henderson Executive Airport static display).

Smith brings nearly 20 years of global experience in aviation sales, acquisitions and leasing. Most recently he served as vice president of Business Aircraft Leasing, where he represented domestic and international clients and managed several aircraft completions. He will serve as Guardian Jet’s vice president of sales for the south central U.S. Kessler will focus primarily on increasing Guardian Jet’s presence in the western U.S. He holds an ATP certificate and is also a flight instructor.

z Thales To Develop Rudder-by-Wire System Thales (Booth C10607) announced that it will develop the rudderby-wire electronic flight control system for the new Cessna Citation Longitude. The company said the solution came from deploying a pair of Thales Smart Electronic Control Units (SECUs) that use electronic signals to augment pilot rudder pedal control inputs.

According to Thales, using a pair of SECUs provides for better control integrity and streamlines the system, enhancing reliability and integrity. Thales provides flight control solutions for all North American business jet OEMs. Thales’s Montreal center of excellence will work with Textron Aviation to develop the system engineering and software for the new control system.

z Lou Martin Demos Dual Electric Window Shades Lou Martin and Associates, a manufacturer of composite aircraft interior shells and integrated window treatments, brought its newest product to Las Vegas this week and is demonstrating how it works at its booth (N6151).

The San Antonio, Texas-based company is now producing a dual electric pleated window shade for numerous corporate jet models. The window shade has an enhanced manual override system that weighs just seven pounds, installed. Lou Martin is also demonstrating its electrical cassette window shade, which can be installed in a standard commercial airline side-panel.

Lou Martin and Associates recently completed RTCA DO160 testing and now holds certifications for DO-160D, DO-160E and DO-160F on its entire product line of electrical window shades for business jets.

z West Star, Universal Offer ADS-B for Falcon 50s West Star Aviation and Universal Avionics are jointly providing an incentive to encourage Falcon 50 operators to schedule ADS-B upgrades for their legacy Universal Avionics FMS units.

Under the incentive program, Universal (Booth N5733) is offering to double exchange upgrade values for each legacy Universal FMS exchanged for a Universal WAAS/SBAS FMS. The new FMS helps provide the required foundation for ADS-B out upgrades.

West Star (Booth N4421) is providing additional discounts.

Rolled out here at NBAA 2015, the incentive program is available for a limited time; orders must be placed before December 31 and must ship to West Star by March 31. The companies are hoping to incentivize earlier equipage in face of the looming 2020 deadline. “Operators waiting to make this critical decision may be left grounded because installation shop time and available hardware will be in escalating demand as the mandate deadline closes,” said Mary Rhine, director of sales for West Star.

z Appearance Group Acquires The Allen Groupe Appearance Group (Booth N5814), which is headquartered in Wichita, announced on November 11 that it had acquired Dave’s Detailing, dba The Allen Groupe, and its U.S.-based operations.

The Allen Groupe had been a debtor in possession operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings since June 2013.

Services will continue at each of The Allen Groupe’s U.S.based locations using existing employees. With the addition of The Allen Groupe’s locations, the Appearance Group network now provides customers with access to services in 45 sites.

www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 45

BARRY AMBROSE

ESTERLINE OFFERS ITS KORRY TOUCHSCREEN OVERHEAD PANELS

X-RAY VISION At the One Aviation indoor static display, NBAA attendees can get a virtual “inside” look at the structure and systems of the Eclipse 550. It’s not some sort of superpower. It’s high-definition artwork from Avion Graphics, which specializes in FAAapproved exterior decals and stencils as well as interior placards.

Esterline launched its Korry utility control system (UCS) touchscreen display technology at NBAA 2015.

The touch panels were originally developed for the overhead panels of Gulfstream Aerospace’s latest G500 and G600 business jets.

“After pioneering this application for the business jet market we are now making the technology available in a format that is easily adapted to a wider range of aircraft,” said Kevin Moschetti, president of Esterline Control & Communications Systems (Booth C12838).

The Korry overhead panels are built with open architecture software for customer flexibility, and come in a range of sizes to accommodate various applications.

They are coated with a special surface that repels skin oil, keeping the displays fingerprint-free. Triple-channel redundancy is built in for failsafe backup, and reliability of the panels far exceeds that of the multiple overhead switches just one panel can replace, the company notes. The screens are high-contrast and sunlight readable at wide angles.

–A.L.

Avinode adds charter ops functions to existing Mobile Marketplace app

by James Wynbrandt Avinode launched the next stage of its Marketplace App, with features aimed at the charter operator community, complementing the first stage released in July, which targeted brokers and brought the Swedish company’s charter market data to mobile devices. The new iteration allows operators to modify and respond to broker requests more quickly.

“Every minute counts” in winning charter bookings, said Per Marthinsson, Avinode’s co-founder and managing director. “Everyone wants to get as close to instant confirmation as possible.” Avinode

(Booth N5222) estimates that operators who consistently respond to broker requests within 30 minutes receive on average three times more requests a year.

The Marketplace App for Apple iOS devices is free to all Avinode subscribers. Brokers can use the app to search Avinode’s global database of available private jet aircraft; organize trip requests and responses; and track the status of all requested trips. The app also compares options, simplifying evaluation and comparison of charter quotes. Marthinsson said the company plans to add “more

and more functionality” in coming releases.

Avinode is also updating its underlying platform so operators can use it as a direct portal to consumers, making it easier for end users to book their own flights, rather than go through a broker.

Meanwhile, current charter activity is strong, according to Avinode data. “We had an all-time high for the number of trip requests in October, and see very positive trends lines.”

Attendees can see a demonstration of the Marketplace App this week at the company’s NBAA booth. o

Originally designed for Gulfstream’s G500 and G600, Korry touchscreens are more reliable than legacy mechanical overhead cockpit panels.

Boeing’s Max bolstering BBJ sales Boeing’s new 737 Max program has captured the bulk of the new business for Boeing Business Jets this year, accounting for five of the seven of the orders taken in year-todate. The orders included a contract for three Max 8s that Boeing Business Jets president David Longridge said was signed last week at the Dubai Air Show.

“The BBJ Max is doing really well, with nine orders already on the books for both BBJ Max 8s and BBJ Max 9s,” Longridge said. Also newly announced is an order for a Max 8 from a customer in Asia.

The Boeing 737 Max program is slated for first flight next year, with initial deliveries to commercial customers expected in 2017 and to a Boeing Business Jets customer in 2018.

With the lead time for the Max, Longridge noted that the company is seeing some “renewed interest in BBJs” because customers don’t want to wait.

He also added that the company has experienced an active pre-owned market for the BBJ, with five sold this year. All of those went to Asia and helped boost the total of BBJs in China to 22. “We’re very happy with how China is going,” Longridge

said, adding the company is seeing considerable interest from the pre-owned market in the region.

While the Max continues to draw interest, so too is the 787 program, Longridge said. His group further received an order for a BBJ 787 this year and currently has eight in completions.

Longridge believes the first completed BBJ 787 is on pace to enter service either late this year or early next year. Both Associated Air Center and Greenpoint Technologies are nearing completion of their first 787 VIP projects.

Boeing Business Jets, meanwhile, in April delivered the first BBJ 787-9 to Jet Aviation in

46 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

BARRY AMBROSE

by Kerry Lynch

David Longridge, Boeing Business Jets president, sees an influx of Max orders.

Basel, and the 12- to 18-month completion process is expected to get under way in January.

Longridge noted that the systems architecture of the 787, including its integrated electrical system, have made completions “complicated,” but said the learning curve is improving and “we have turned a corner.”

A year ago, completion centers were hesitant about taking on a 787, he said. “Now, they are actively looking for them.”

Boeing Business Jets handed over four BBJ 787s for completions this year and is on pace to deliver 11 green aircraft across its product line this year.

As for completed aircraft, seven have entered service so far this year–four BBJs and three BBJ 7478s. Also, the first “turnkey” BBJ completed by Sabena Technics is slated to enter service shortly.

As a turnkey aircraft, Boeing Business Jets managed the completion process and worked directly with Sabena on behalf of the customer. That aircraft, Longridge said, will be delivered “ahead of schedule, under budget and with a cabin substantially lighter than contracted.” o

GE Honda: HF120 is ready to go

by James Wynbrandt

BARRY AMBROSE

With its HF120 engine soon with parts and tools in place to enter service powering the and training completed.

HA-420 HondaJet, GE Honda An Engine Maintenance Aero Engines president Steve Care (EMC) program is also Shaknaitis said all systems ready. “To us, that’s where are go to support we have to focus, to the engine, even as make this a seamless the company looks support experience ahead toward addifor the customer,” he tional applications for said. Offered in two the new powerplant. options, EMC2, and “We have one prodmore basic EMCb uct, but we have much (which doesn’t pick more,” Shaknaitis up labor costs for said, as he delivered line maintenance), an overview during the program noneNBAA 2015 of the theless provides sigcurrent status of the Steve Shaknaitis, GE nificant flexibility in program. GE Honda Honda Aero Engines choosing elements, so Aero’s Burlington, support can be taiN.C. factory is building engines, lored to each customer’s prefproducing 46 to date, and the erences. Shaknaitis declined to company has established a ser- provide EMC pricing, but said vice network in North America, it is “competitive” and costs are Western Europe and Brazil, available from representatives

Flight Display Systems wants pax to just ‘do’ it Cabin electronics specialist Flight Display Systems (FDS) of Alpharetta, Ga. is introducing nine new products here, anchored by its “do” suite of clean-sheet cabin entertainment solutions. “This is not about products and part numbers, it’s about the “do” experience,” said Bill Cathcart, vice president of sales and marketing.

The four products at the core of the experience are the do Capsule, which provides the control interface for operating streaming media and other features wirelessly; do

3D, providing 2-D and 3-D inflight maps; the Edge series of monitors, at two-inches the thinnest onboard monitor available, according to FDS; and do 360, providing access to an extensive collection of in-flight movies and other entertainment, including DRM content of the latest Hollywood offerings.

FDS (Booth C7824) has partnered with Global Eagle Entertainment, the primary provider of digital rights management (DRM) content to the world’s airlines, for its do 360 option.

at the company’s NBAA booth C10029.

Having received FAA certification two years ago, the HF120 is on track for EASA approval, as well as from Mexico’s DGAC and Transport Canada by years-end, as well as Brazil’s ANAC next year.

Sierra Industries has already chosen the HF120 for its Sapphire upgrade program, as replacements for the legacy Williams engines on 525-series CitationJets, and GE Honda is looking at other retrofit and OEM opportunities. It’s also thinking ahead to single-engine applications. Shaknaitus said the company has extensively studied the engine’s architecture and its suitability for such a role. “We don’t have a launch customer, but we have an engine that’s ready to go do that,” he said. o The do products don’t use the Internet. FDS president and CEO Reed Macdonald said even upcoming high-speed satellite connectivity services won’t have the bandwidth to serve a business jet cabin full of passengers adequately, and even if they were capable, the data costs would be high. The do suite includes dual removable servers that can be quickly loaded with content.

Moreover, do 360’s DRM content is offered in a flat-rate subscription service, with no additional per-view charges.

MacDonald said the company will announce subscription prices soon, and do 360 will be available in the first quarter of next year. –P.C.

FLYRIGHT EXPANDING CHARLOTTE TRAINING CENTER Matt Hapgood, president of Charlotte, N.C.based Part 142 flight simulation provider FlyRight, announced at NBAA 2015 that the company is expanding its Charlotte training center. “This

King Air flight simulation provider FlyRight has plans to expand its physical plant in Charlotte N.C.

expansion provides us with the capacity we need to meet the growing training needs of our current clients and an expanding customer base,” he said.

“We’ll be strategically adding equipment to our simulator fleet.”

The physical plant is also expanding, and the company expects to also break ground on another facility in the immediate vicinity. All that construction is planned to help the company keep up with business, as well as expand from its current focus as a provider of King Air flight simulation to other platforms.

In other news, FlyRight (Booth C7633) announced that it now provides King Air 350 Part 135 training, including initial type ratings, as well as recurrency and Part 135 checks on level-D King Air 350 flight simulators. The company also announced that its King Air B200 simulator has been level-C qualified.

–A.L.

NEWS CLIPS z Tool Crib Module Keeps Maintenance on Track Continuum Applied Technology (Booth N1622) and Alltite are developing an integration to provide synchronization of Alltite calibration data through Corridor Aviation Service Software.

Alltite offers cloud-based documentation for electronic, pressure, torque, dimensional and force calibrations. Corridor is an enterprise application developed to streamline all aspects of aviation maintenance and service. Corridor consists of integrated modules, among them the Tool Crib Module, which provides tool crib management, including usage and calibration tracking.

“This integration empowers our shared customers to drive consistency for seamless audits, quick retrieval of documentation and internal tool management,” said Tom Smith, CEO of Alltite. “It is exciting to be able to align our calibration program with a notable aviation software solution like Corridor.”

Corridor customers using the Tool Crib Module (available in Version 11) will have the ability to download any calibrations performed by Alltite, including links to Alltite’s calibration certificates, into Tool Crib Module. The new process eliminates data entry, scanning and file uploading for calibrations.

z Pentastar Aviation Develops GIV ADS-B Upgrade Pentastar Aviation (Booth C7329) has developed an ADS-B upgrade for the Gulfstream IV equipped with Rockwell Collins avionics. The STC meets the latest RTCA DO-260B standards and costs less than $100,000. In the U.S., ADS-B compliance is required after midnight Dec. 31, 2019. The GIV STC includes installation of a Rockwell Collins GPS-4000A position source, according to Pentastar avionics engineering manager Jesse Beard, and the existing transponder is upgraded per a Rockwell Collins service bulletin. No changes are made to the flight management system.

“It is a simple modification,” said Greg Schmidt, president and CEO of Pentastar Aviation. “But it is necessary not only because it is mandated by the FAA but because it will make the skies much safer, and we are excited that we have been able to devise a solution that costs less than $100,000.” Pentastar is offering a 15-percent discount on its posted labor rate for workorders “fully executed” before Dec. 31, 2015.

out

z Honeywell’s goFuel Digitally Stores Fuel Cards There is nothing quite as magical as pushing the “confirm purchase” button in an app. Now pilots can search fuel prices and pre-purchase fuel before landing using a smartphone with Honeywell’s free goFuel app, available now on the Apple App Store. Honeywell (Booth C7807) introduced the app this fall.

Upon signing up for the goFuel service, the app will request permission to contact each of the fuel vendors provided and will automatically load in the user’s contract fuel prices and the preferences for each aircraft in the fleet into a secure profile.

The app’s graphical depiction of fuel pricing–updated weekly, according to Honeywell–makes deciding where to fuel up a quick process. There is even an option to pre-order and pre-pay for the fuel, redefining the meaning of a rapid-turn.

But it is the digital wallet function in the app that sets it apart from other fuel apps. By loading payment methods and rewards cards into the app, users save time, which is as good as money in business aviation

z ACJ Owners get Dedicated CAMP Maintenance Choice Airbus Corporate Jets is providing a tailored maintenance tracking system from CAMP Systems (Booth N1904) for its more than 170 ACJ owners and operators worldwide, the company announced on Tuesday at NBAA 2015. CAMP is a specialist in the provision of maintenance management services for corporate jets, and already provides its service for around 70 Airbus corporate jets.

“We are committed to helping customers and operators get the best from their Airbus aircraft, and this new service answers their needs,” said Benoit Defforge, managing director of Airbus Corporate Jets. “Computerized aircraft maintenance–CAMP– for ACJ is a fully digital solution, available on any computer, smartphone or tablet with Internet access,” he added.

www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 47

BARRY AMBROSE

The management teams from Airbus and Aerion briefed the press at NBAA 2015 on Monday. Both sides have found the cooperative agreement to be beneficial to their strategic corporate plans.

Aerion eyes coastal sites for AS2 manufacturing

by Chad Trautvetter Aerion Corp.’s U.S. manufacturing location for its Mach 1.5 AS2 business jet will likely be on the East or West Coast, within 200 nm of an offshore supersonic flight test area, co-chairman Brian Barents said on Monday here at NBAA 2015. The company expects to announce the location of the assembly site in the first half of next year upon formal launch of the AS2 program and break ground on the facility in 2018.

“Aerion has begun a formal search for a U.S. manufacturing location,” CEO Doug Nichols said. “We’re looking for a stateof-the art campus of more than 100 acres on a major airport with

a minimum 9,000-foot runway and other special geophysical requirements.” The Reno, Nev.based company will also evaluate other factors, including airport suitability; road and rail infrastructure; proximity to a deepwater port for shipped structures and equipment; local aerospace workforce; state and local regulations; quality of life; and regional educational institutions.

Partner Airbus Group will provide major components for the AS2, while Aerion will conduct final assembly. Both companies envision a “long-term relationship” for ongoing technical support.

With joint engineering efforts accelerating on the AS2, Aerion and Airbus Group also announced a new agreement on Monday that will expand North American-based Airbus Group resources to the AS2 program.

Support from Airbus Group operations in North America will include engineering, procurement and supply chain management, logistics planning, program management and government relations. These new resources will augment engineering support from Airbus Defense and Space in Spain.

“The collaboration between Aerion and Airbus Group has been extremely beneficial and productive,” said Airbus Group chairman and CEO Allan McArtor. “The further we proceed along the development path with Aerion, the greater our enthusiasm for this program and the deeper our commitment. Under our new agreement, our two companies are working as one to bring Aerion’s supersonic AS2 to the business jet market.”

Since their collaboration was announced last year, Aerion and Airbus have made steady progress on maturing the AS2’s design. Airbus Defense and Space has made significant progress in the engineering of

airframe structures, the AS2’s fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control system, integrated fuel system and landing gear, according to Aerion.

Preliminary designs completed by Aerion and Airbus include a strong and light 10-spar carbon-fiber wing structure; fuselage and empennage structures; articulating main landing gear system that minimizes space when stowed/ retracted; fuel system that is integrated with the digital flyby-wire (FBW) flight control system for control of center of gravity; small, powerful actuators that can be housed in the AS2’s thin flying surfaces; and the FBW system.

a realistic roadmap for helping Aerion proceed toward construction and flight,” said Airbus Group senior vice president for strategy and corporate development Ken McKenzie. Aerion senior vice president for aircraft development Mike Hinderberger added, “We have moved out of the conceptual design phase into commercializing Aerion technology.”

Aerion (Booth C9429) will not be announcing a powerplant selection for the AS2 trijet this week here in Las Vegas. It is now targeting the first half of next year to make this decision, enabling the company to formally launch the program “shortly thereafter.”

Existing core engines suitable for adaptation to the needs of supersonic flight have already been identified by the hopeful SSBJ manufacturer. “We will proceed with an engine that allows us to meet our performance goals with the minimum changes required,” Nichols noted. “Aerion is focused on an engine solution that meets Stage 4 noise standards while preserving long-range supersonic performance. This is a significant challenge with a lowbypass supersonic engine, but solutions are in sight with today’s engine technology.”

Aerion is shooting for first flight of the $120 million AS2 in 2021 and entry into service in 2023, following FAA certification.

EASA certification would soon follow, the company said. o

Testing Composites

To supplement the design process, Airbus Defense and Space has built a sample titanium wing leading-edge section for evaluation and is testing composite material specimens to optimize material properties. Aerion is the lead for other systems, such as avionics, electrical, environmental control, hydraulics and auxiliary power. Candidate suppliers have been identified and the supplier selection process is under way.

In September, the two companies conducted a four-day joint engineering design review on all AS2 structures and aircraft systems. “We see clear and achievable technical solutions to the design of a supersonic jet, and

Polaris Aero’s Web aps enhance flight planning Polaris Aero (Booth C11035) offers two Web-based safety products for aviation: FlightRisk, a risk-assessment tool primarily for pilots and flight dispatchers, and Vector SMS, a safety and quality management system, to help users achieve the highest level of safety and improve the effectiveness of their organizations. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company was founded in 2007 by two former U. S. Air Force pilots.

From their experience as military and civil pilots, Chris Conner, Polaris Aero CEO, and Trent Fox, COO, found that the flight-risk assessment tools they had used (risk matrices and hazard scoring systems) relied heavily on pilots’ perceptions of risk and provided only a numerical value to indicate how risky

a flight might be, but gave little help in identifying how the actual risks could be mitigated or avoided.

Furthermore, because perceptions are shaped by experience, a lack of relevant experience can result in a misperception of risk.

A key element of this dilemma, they reasoned, was the massive amount of information that pilots need to know or are supposed to check by regulation, but have no way of easily finding and systematically accessing What Conner and Fox created is FlightRisk, a software solution they introduced in 2009 that solves the problem of “information overload” by consolidating and analyzing thousands of pieces of data to find the information that is most applicable

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by R. Randall Padfield

Christopher Conner, Polaris Aero CEO, and Trent Fox, COO, developed FlightRisk to provide real-time hazard information and custom advisory messages to pilots and flight dispatchers, based on the factors that are most relevant to their particular flight.

to a pilot for a particular flight.

It sounds almost too good to be true, but with some 28,000 users running actual flight planning scenarios at an average of 1,500 times a day and aircraft owners paying $99 per aircraft per month to use FlightRisk (with discounts for larger flight operations), it would appear that the two Academy grads are on the right track.

48 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

“Our mission is to make flying safer,” Conner said. “We turn all of the various aviation policies, publications and standards into real-time, actionable intelligence so that our customers can make smarter decisions. In short, we provide the right information to the right people at the right time.”

FlightRisk also gives pilots the opportunity to share their knowledge about hazards with

other pilots, sort of like users of Yelp share knowledge of local businesses with other Yelp users.

Users’ brief, anonymous surveys on FlightRisk are much more effective than simply reviewing incident and accident reports, Fox explained. “By learning from other pilots’ operational experiences, FlightRisk users can learn valuable lessons before an accident occurs,” he said.

Soon after the launch of FlightRisk, Conner and Fox realized that their customers needed more than an advanced flight risk assessment system for pilots; customers also need a comprehensive Safety Management System solution for their entire organization, including maintenance, cargo loading, dispatchers and so on.

So in 2012, Polaris Aero launched Vector SMS to help users address compliance with the global standards of ICAO, FAA, Transport Canada, IS-BAO and others. The company now has 27 Vector users, who pay $5,000 per year for the standard or $10,000 for the enhanced version. o

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100th TBM 900 set for delivery next month

by Ian Sheppard Since Daher took full control of Tarbes, France-based TBM last year it has invested heavily in the modernization of its facilities. Not only has the TBM 900, the latest generation of its single-engine turboprop, outstripped expectations, but

its third-party work has gone from strength to strength too.

Beyond former shareholder Airbus, for which it produces all the A350 main-gear doors, Daher also has a significant amount of work for Dassault, Gulfstream and Embraer.

AIN visited the TBM factory in early October, as part of a tour arranged for IAOPA (The International Council of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations), which was holding its European regional meeting in nearby Lourdes. It was evident that this is a manufacturer that is full of confidence; some 25 years after the TBM 700 entered service the 900 has boosted the type’s fortunes, especially in the U.S. market where TBM started out life as a joint venture project (TB for Tarbes and M for Mooney).

PHOTOS: IAN SHEPPARD

Left, the TBM 900 assembly line in Tarbes. Below, a fuselage awaits mounting of the PWC PT6.

The aircraft was announced in April 2014; the 100th copy will be delivered next month.

A TBM is wheeled out from the final assembly hangar for its flight test.

According to spokesman Philippe de Segovia, “We have delivered so far 40 TBM 900s since the beginning of the year for a total of 51 orders to date.

We have scheduled five deliveries in November and six in December. Out of the 40

delivered, three were sold in Europe, five in Brazil, two in Mexico and 30 in the U.S. In December we will deliver the 100th TBM 900.” In 2015, other milestones included delivery of the first Spanish and the first Mexican TBM 900s.

Here at NBAA, Daher (Booth C13307) said it has a “special offer for Part 135 operators…as we see a strong interest from very small commercial operators.” One such operator, Eric Walden of Little Hawk Logistics, is the company’s guest speaker at its NBAA 2015 press conference today. Walden is based in central Virginia and owns a 2007 TBM 850. Since buying the airplane in June, he has flown 300 hours.

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Daher Chief Urges Simplified Certification Process Among the speakers at the IAOPA regional meeting was Christophe Robin, Daher v-p of engineering and TBM 900 chief designer. (Christophe is the son of the founder of Robin Aircraft, producer of the most popular light pistons in France).

He took a swipe at the regulatory approach in Europe, where, he said, “they just took the rules for big aircraft and applied them to little ones.” He questioned why so much time has to be spent on certifying aircraft when “it’s not where the accidents come from.” He maintains that regulators should put more emphasis on pilot training, as pilots are usually the cause of the accidents. Robin said Europe’s GA industry is looking forward to the new less-onerous certification regime for smaller aircraft that is being formulated by EASA. His next comments concerned the FAA: “At the end of last year they shut down

the FAA for two months. That caused a big problem for us. They were out of funding.” He also noted, “If an aircraft is safe in Europe it should be safe in the U.S. The new way of thinking started a long time ago in the U.S. with the LSA. Now it is CS23 [simplified Par 23 regulations]. If it works there it will work with other categories.”

Effectively, a philosophy that started with small aircraft is gradually working its way up, with Europe more recently coming on board–and this is being discussed as part of the new bilateral agreement between EASA and the FAA. Robin concluded: “Today making light aircraft is almost impossible as the cost of certification is disproportionately costly. If you bring certification costs down it will bring the others into the market. In recent years small aircraft makers have been forced to go to bigger aircraft–jets,” he said, and that has not always led to success. –I.S.

Christophe Robin

At the time of the Tarbes factory tour, TBM representatives were preparing for the 12th Convention of the TBM Owners and Pilots Association (TBMOPA) at South Carolina’s Charleston Executive Airport (held October 7 to 11). This saw a record attendance of 104 TBMs, which included 20 TBM 900s and the remainder TBM 850s and TBM 700s. The event attracted almost a quarter of the North American TBM fleet.

This year topics included ADS-B, training, the TBMOPA Foundation’s scenario-based training initiative, a Pratt & Whitney Canada engine update and a safety review.

Well Known Faces

Among the 2015 gathering’s highlights was the presence of two French Army TBM 700 pilots who flew one of the service’s aircraft from their Rennes, France base, marking the 20th anniversary of this cornerstone TBM version’s service entry in their unit.

Featured speakers at this year’s event were retired Col. Mark Tillman (who related his experiences as the former Commander of Air Force One, the U.S. presidential jetliner); NASA astronaut Storey Musgrave and Dr. David Strahle discussing preflight weather planning and the Nexrad weather radar network.

Joining the guest speakers was a well-known orator for many TBMOPA members, famed ferry-pilot Margrit Waltz, who has circled the world in TBMs. “Year after year, the TBM gathering continues to improve in quality as well as numbers of attendees, and we are proud to bring our support to this highlevel flying community,” commented Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of the Daher Airplane business unit.

Next year’s convention will be held in Phoenix, Ariz., from September 21 to 25. o

Visit us at NBAA Booth C11216

www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 51

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The BLR Whisper Props, manufactured by MTPropeller, marry nicely to the BLR winglet system on the King Air turboprops, providing significant increases in short-field performance and efficiency.

BLR Aerospace teams up with MT Propeller on mods

by Amy Laboda Sometimes odd is, well, better. That is certainly true when it comes to propellers, if you ask Dave Marone, vice president of sales and marketing for mod-specialist BLR Aerospace (Booth N4916), which holds a supplemental type certificate (STC) for winglets for the Beechcraft King Air. He is here at NBAA 2015 to show attendees precisely how productive the company’s partnership with European propeller manufacturer MT-Propeller has been this past year.

“BLR went shopping for prop technology as a practical complement to our winglet system,” Marone told AIN. “What we wanted was to marry a low-vibration, low-noise prop to our winglet STC, and really make the King Air more comfortable for passengers, and a more efficient short field performer for operators.”

MT-Propeller (Booth C13010) is no novice when it comes to building propellers for turboprop engines. The company has provided a capable propeller for the PC-12 and has 10 years of research invested in marrying its propellers to turbine engines.

“The King Air series was, in my mind, the next logical step,” said Marone.

The five-blade, scimitar-shape Whisper Prop that MT provided to BLR Aerospace is unique in composition, shape and size.

“It has a laminated hard-wood [natural composite] core that dampens vibration,” explained Marone. “The swept-blade scimitar design is more efficient because, as your blade velocity approaches the speed of sound, the swept design allows the undesirable build-up of air pressure in front of the blade to shed easier than it would with a constant-chord design.”

As for the five blades, an odd number reduces harmonic resonance between the blades, as compared to a four-blade or twoblade propeller. It also means blades can be shorter and still have enough surface area to absorb the horsepower coming out of the engine. Total amount of thrust divided by five (as opposed to four or three) means that as each blade passes near the ground it is creating less vacuum; the propellers are less likely to suck up foreign objects on a rough field with more blades on the prop.

Beyond that, the Whisper Prop’s smaller propeller diameter provides more ground clearance. It is also quieter than longerblade propellers because it allows for a slower blade-tip velocity.

Now that BLR has sold the first 10 Whisper Prop/winglet systems and five are flying, it can validate real-world performance with confidence.

“The customers are getting what they

TAS updates MU-2 icing video and improves its AOA system

by James Wynbrandt Turbine Aircraft Services (TAS; Booth C9837), the aftermarket support specialist for the Mitsubishi MU-2 turbine twin family, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America (MHIA) announced here at NBAA two new safety programs set to debut early next year: an improved angleof-attack (AOA) system, and an updated version of the icing video that MU-2 pilots are required to view biennially.

The AOA system, developed by Alpha Systems AOA, is now functional in all flap settings on MU-2 models, whereas the original design accounted for only one flap configuration. Final approval is dependent on a letter of conformity from

the FAA that Alpha Systems expects in the first quarter of 2016.

TAS v-p Rick Wheldon, an aeronautical engineer and former naval aviator, said he learned “early in my flying career that an AOA system, such as this Alpha Systems AOA solution with flap inputs, offers an easy way to maintain a safe margin above stall.”

Noting that the NTSB has labeled loss of control a major cause of aircraft accidents, Wheldon added, “Widespread use of an AOA indicator of this quality and capability would, without doubt, result in a significant reduction in those types of accidents.”

Thanks, in part, to the current TAS icing video, icing accidents in MU-2s

54 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

were looking for. An excellent performing prop with superior ergonomics and improving ride quality,” Marone told AIN. “The combination of the winglets and Whisper Props on the Beech King Air C90 is a reduction of 30 to 50 percent of measurable noise/vibration in the aircraft cabin [in decibels, when compared to the standard King Air C90GTx propeller], bringing it down to jet-like levels.

The King Air 350 lapse time from brake release to Vr is reduced significantly, making it an even better performing short-field aircraft,” he said. Performance numbers in the field show that the winglet/ Whisper Prop combination reduced takeoff ground roll in the King Air 350 by as much as 10 percent.

In other news BLR announced that its FastFin tail rotor enhancement and stability system is now FAA certified (EASA certification is imminent) on the AgustaWestland

AB412 helicopter, the license-built version of the Bell 412, for which BLR already had a FastFin STC. The FastFin upgrade, made up of two parallel stall strips (Dual Tailboom Strakes) and a reshaped vertical fin, improves tail rotor authority and wind azimuth tolerance. Nearly 900 FastFin systems are installed on Bell 204, 205, UH-1, 212 and 412 models, and the system is factory standard on new Bell 412EP and EPI helicopters.

The company’s FastFin kit is also being designed for use on the Cobra AH-1 attack helicopter as part of a performance improvement suite that should increase hover loads on the helicopter by as much as 1,000 pounds, according to Marone. It will be available as a commercial off-theshelf package. Also being tested with the system is the AS350 helicopter. The company expects FAA Part 29 certification for both aircraft in late 2016. o

With backing from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Turbine Aircraft Services has supported the MU-2 for decades with safety programs and training seminars.

to win an MU-2 crystal valued at $300.

MHIA also announced its continuing sponsorship of Barrington Irving’s nationwide “Dream & Soar” program, featured through Discovery Channel and National Geographic, among others. Irving, the first black pilot to fly solo around the world and the youngest pilot to complete the circumnavigation, has presented Dream & Soar to more than 15,000 students across the United States over the last six years. o

have already seen a precipitous decline.

MHIA created the first MU-2 icing video in 1997, and biennial viewing by PICs is part of recurrent training mandated under FAA SFAR 108, adopted in 2008 in response to what the agency determined was an unacceptable accident rate for MU-2s. Since that year, the MU-2 family has had the best safety record in its class, according to TAS president Pat Cannon, and icing has not been the cause of any MU-2 accident.

The icing video has been acclaimed by the aviation industry and even used by many pilots who don’t operate the MU-2.

The new video freshens the presentation and provides more current facts and information that will recapture the attention of viewers, according to TAS. The FAA is in the process of approving the final video script. The new version will be released and available for MU-2 owners and operators in the spring of 2016.

Next year, TAS and MHIA will once again hold the biennial Pilots Review of Proficiency (PROP) seminar, which is free to attendees. Locations and dates for PROP 2016 are: Dallas, April 1-2; Tucson, Ariz., April 15-16; Cincinnati, Ohio, April 29-30. Visitors to the TAS NBAA booth can learn more about PROP and MU-2 owners and operators can enter a drawing

FLIGHTSAFETY TO OFFER CITATION XLS TRAINING IN COLUMBUS FlightSafety International (Booth C8524) announced in early September that it is building a new Citation XLS+ full flight simulator, which will enter service in April 2016 at the company’s learning center in Columbus, Ohio. Thanks to the simulator’s Vital 1100 visual system, pilots will be able to enjoy “highly detailed imagery, vastly improved scene content and exceptional environmental effects,” according to FlightSafety. The company plans to obtain FAA level-D qualification first, then by other regulatory authorities, depending on customer needs.

The Columbus learning center also features training for the Citation Sovereign and X, Challenger 350, Global 5000/6000, Falcon 2000/2000EX and G200.

–P.K.

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LEARJET 85 OFFICIALLY CANCELLED

Aerospace Centre FBO under way in Toronto

by Curt Epstein Construction has begun along with an upper-level reson the Aerospace Centre, a taurant and event space with new FBO at Toronto Pearson a deck overlooking the nearby International Airport. The runways. It will also offer a new location, which will be hangar and workshop comthe fourth service provider plex of more than 200,000 at Canada’s busiest airport sq ft, which can accommowhen it opens next summer, date aircraft up to a BBJ, and will consist of 50,000 sq ft will be home to both manageof passenger terminal and ment companies and corpooffices, and planned ame- rate flight departments. nities include meeting, recEpic (Booth C6907) was reational, rest and working selected as the location’s fuel AIN Half Horizontal 1 10/15/2015 10:05:28The AM initial operational space for RED passengers andD.pdf crew, provider.

phase will provide fuel service, with completion of the FBO to follow early in 2017. Subsequent development phases will include an atrium with commercial office towers and convention space. Upon opening, the facility will join the UVAir FBO network (Booth C10429), a brand of FBOs organized by Epic and Universal Weather & Aviation’s fueling division.

“We identified that joining the UVAir network would help build our business traffic quickly by providing our future customers with a sense that they could ‘land in confidence’ knowing our facilities and operations would be top-notch,” the FBO operator said. o

The Learjet 85 made its maiden flight in April 2014. The program was paused less than a year later, with Bombardier citing market softness.

TIM DAVIS PHOTOGRAPHY

When completed, the Aerospace Centre will add more than 250,000 sq ft of structures at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Bombardier Business Aircraft confirmed on October 29 that it has canceled the Learjet 85 program, citing “lack of sales following the prolonged market weakness” and ending months of speculation that the midsize jet was doomed since being “paused” in mid-January. The Canadian OEM took a $1.2 billion writedown on the program during the third quarter, it said during an investor conference call on October 29. Combined with a $3.2 billion charge related to schedule delays on the CSeries, Bombardier reported a loss of $4.9 billion in the quarter, despite revenue intake of $4.1 billion.

The company delivered 43 business jets during the quarter: seven Learjet 70/75s, 18 Challenger 300/350s, three Challenger 605s and 15 Global 5000/6000s. This tally is two fewer than in the same period last year, during which it handed over seven Learjet 70/75s, one Learjet 60XR, 12 Challenger 300/350s, six Challenger 605s and 19 Globals. However, business jet deliveries climbed for the first nine months at 135 aircraft, nine more than last year.

Net orders and backlog took a severe hit from the Learjet 85 cancellation. The company took in gross orders for 41 jets during the quarter but suffered cancellations for 73–64 of them Learjet 85s–for a net loss of 32.

Excluding the midsize Learjet cancellations, book-to-bill was 0.7:1 for the quarter. Bombardier’s business backlog shrunk by nearly $4 billion yearto-date, to $20.3 billion.

–C.T.

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56 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

K5 Aviation commits to buy an ACJ319neo

by Amy Laboda When it comes to the very special large-cabin charter business, dubbed by the industry VVIP, there are only a few aircraft out there that can truly do the job.

The Airbus ACJ319neo appears to be one of them, according to international charter specialist Vertis Aviation (Booth N5222).

K5 Aviation of Germany has

committed to take delivery of a green ACJ319neo in the second quarter of 2019. K5 is Vertis Aviation’s management partner.

Ultimately the aircraft will become a part of Swiss-based Vertis Aviation’s rapidly growing fleet, which currently includes a G450, G550 and G650 based in the Bahamas; two Global

K5 signed a commitment for one ACJ319neo to be operated for charter by Vertis Aviation.

Vertis’ latest ACJ319 boasts one of the longest ranges of the fleet. The company keeps a G650 based between the Bahamas and Geneva for transatlantic charters.

Expresses, a Challenger 604, Learjet 45 and a Global XRS; a 727-VIP and BBJ; a Falcon 7X; and four ACJ319s. The company brought a factory-fresh 2015 ACJ319 to the static display at Henderson Executive Airport during this week’s NBAA show.

“We regularly serve U.S. East Coast destinations from Europe’s capital cities with our ultra-longrange fleet,” said Neil Turnbull, COO of Vertis Aviation. “With an upturn in the economy we are seeing an increase in demand and requests for the larger aircraft cabins, and the ACJs are popular with our clients owing to their spacious interiors, operational efficiency, comfortable furnishings and long-range capabilities. As we continue to expand our international portfolio we will look to add more aircraft of this caliber to our marketed portfolio.”

The ACJ319 on static display has a modular cabin that can sleep 19 passengers with taxi-totaxi lie-flat seats and a 55-inch monitor for in-flight entertainment. Vertis Aviation is celebrating its fifth anniversary, having grown from its single base in Switzerland o

Jet Aviation to install Ka-band satcom

by James Wynbrandt Jet Aviation Basel has signed an agreement to perform the first installation of a Ka-band satcom system on a Boeing 747-400, using Honeywell’s JetWave fuselage-mounted MCS8200 antenna. The completions and aircraft engineering specialist will develop a Ka-Band supplemental type certificate (STC) for the 747400 installation. Jet Aviation is located at NBAA Booth N5131.

Ka-Band connectivity enables high data transfer speeds while supporting expected future growth in data traffic. The Ka-band satcom will ultimately interface with the existing local area network system on the Boeing widebody.

Honeywell’s JetWave Ka-band GX Aviation satcom terminal provides global broadband service via the Inmarsat’s new GlobalXpress network, and supports both commercial global spot beams and high-capacity commercial spot beams, without reconfiguring the system, transitioning networks or changing providers.

Ka-band connectivity is also available on business aircraft via Honeywell’s tail-mounted MCS8000 antenna.

“With all of us having enjoyed nearly limitless high-speed Internet on the ground for so long, we are thrilled to help bring this experience to our customers up in the air,” said Johannes Turzer, senior vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation Basel.

FANS For Challengers

Meanwhile, Jet Aviation St. Louis, having received an STC for a FANS 1/A installation in a Bombardier Challenger 604, is performing the first follow-on installation. “We can complete the fully integrated FANS1/A upgrade with minimal downtime and cost, all during a scheduled or unscheduled maintenance event,’ said Blake Hogge, senior manager for avionics sales at Jet Aviation St. Louis. The upgrade includes ADS-C and controller-pilot datalink communications

Jet Aviation’s St. Louis facility will be getting busy with FANS 1/A installations in Bombardier Challenger 604s. The company recently received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) to perform the avionics upgrades to comply with NextGen mandates.

NEWS CLIPS Constant Renews Rolls-Royce Service Pact Full-service MRO Constant Aviation (N5107) renewed its agreement with Rolls-Royce to continue as an authorized service center for the AE3007 engine at all three of its locations–Cleveland, Ohio; Birmingham, Ala.; and Las Vegas. The designation gives Constant the ability to offer Embraer Legacy 600/650 operators enrolled in Rolls-Royce’s CorporateCare program on-site parts and warranty claims processing.

“We began our partnership with Rolls-Royce in 2012, when we were named the first authorized service center for the AE3007 engine line in the U.S.,” said Constant Embraer Legacy 600/650 program manager Jim Rady. “This relationship is important to our business as we touch more Legacy 600s than any other service center. We recently completed our 32nd 96-month inspection, with our 10th 144-month inspection currently in work. Providing a one-stop solution to our Legacy 600/650 customers was the initial reason for partnering with Rolls-Royce.”

z KaiserAir’s Santa Rosa FBO Wins DCA Gateway KaiserAir’s facility in Santa Rosa, Calif., received approval as a gateway for operations to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The approval is the second for KaiserAir (Booth C10143). The company had obtained similar DCA gateway recognition for its Oakland, Calif., fixed-base operation nearly a year ago.

The authorization permits direct flights to DCA. KaiserAir has designated an area of its Santa Rosa facility as a sterile area where the required security protocols can be performed in privacy for DCA flights. KaiserAir also is making staff available to answer questions about the program and to help with the arrangements.

“We understand the unique challenges presented by DCA operations because we operator private jets for West Coast clients who often travel to our nation’s capital,” said Glenn Barrett, KaiserAir’s vice president of maintenance and Santa Rosa FBO general manager.

Separately, KaiserAir is launching an in-flight magazine KA Confidential for passengers who fly on its Part 121 and 135 flights.

The premier issue will be released mid-December. KaiserAir is on track to fly 20,000 seat trips this year, the company said, and noted it is expanding its management business.

z Viking Appoints Brazilian Service Rep Viking Air selected Manaus Aerotaxi Participacoes (MAP) of Brazil as a factory-endorsed service center. The company had previously designated MAP as an authorized sales representative.

MAP is located in the heart of the Amazon rain forest at the Eduardo Gomes International Airport and operates an air-taxi service to jungle-bound cities throughout the equatorial region of South America. The company has been in business for more than 20 years.

Viking manufactures the Twin Otter Series 400 and expects Brazil’s regulator ANAC to certify the airplane in the first quarter of 2016. Viking projects that the Brazilian market will expand rapidly once type certification is achieved.

z Carolina GSE Signs Agreement To Distribute Carolina GSE (Booth N714)–which supplies ground support equipment (GSE) to flight departments, FBOs, maintenance facilities and airlines–and aviation GSE manufacturer Tronair (N4515) of Holland, Ohio, forged an agreement under which Carolina GSE becomes a global distributor of Tronair’s complete line of GSE and JetPorter towbarless electric aircraft tugs.

“This distributor agreement allows Carolina GSE to supply Tronair’s ground support equipment to our customers throughout the world, while continuing to provide personalized service and support,” said Mike Blout, founder and president of New Bern, N.C.-based Carolina GSE. Tracing its roots to 1971 and the Dana Corp. flight department, Tronair designs, manufactures and distributes more than 1,000 different products, including towbars, wheel chocks, jacks, hydraulic power units, hydraulic service units, engine stands, engine slings, prop stands and more. In addition, Tronair manufactures many special items required by the aircraft OEMs for building aircraft.

www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 57

Garmin expanding Part 25 portfolio

by Matt Thurber Garmin is adding more Part 25 business aircraft to its list of ADS-B out supplemental type certificate (STC) approvals, and additional aircraft are currently undergoing the approval process. These upgrades have been developed in partnership with Garmin authorized dealers and are available from those dealers.

Some of the recent approvals (including some that are very near completion) include the Learjet 60, Butler Avionics; Citation 550/560, Columbia Avionics and JetTech; Hawker 750, 800A/ XP, 850XP and 900XP, Elliott Aviation; and Gulfstream G150/ G200; Gulfstream service centers.

Dealers are working on other business jet ADS-B out STCs as well, including Learjet 35A, Butler Avionics; Beechjet 400A/Hawker 400XP and Hawker 1000, Elliott Aviation; and Beechcraft Premier I/IA; Stevens Aviation.

The Garmin ADS-B solutions for these aircraft meet RTCA DO-260B standards and use the GDL 88 ADS-B datalink, which includes an internal WAAS/SBAS GPS receiver that can also be used as a WAAS GPS position source. The STC also includes Garmin’s GTX

3000 mode-S Extended Squitter (ES) transponder, which qualifies the installation for flight anywhere in the world where ADS-B is required.

Some of the airframes also qualify for installation of the Garmin GTN 650/750 touchscreen GPS navigator. This adds “access to fully coupled WAAS/ LPV approaches, electronic charts and more,” according to Garmin. The optional Garmin Flight Stream wireless datalink

Terminal Safety Products

Garmin also announced it has added SurfaceWatch to its newly announced Terminal Safety Solutions products, which also include TerminalTraffic and SafeTaxi technologies.

TerminalTraffic uses ADS-B to display position of ADS-Bequipped ground vehicles and aircraft on the airport environment as shown on Garmin SafeTaxi airport diagrams. Aircraft and ground vehicles are shown in colors and shapes distinct from those used for airborne traffic, and audible alerts are provided to prevent traffic conflicts.

TerminalTraffic is available via GDL88/84 ADS-B datalinks or GDL 39/39R/39D portable ADS-B receivers paired to compatible Garmin displays.

TerminalTraffic is also available for helicopters, but optimized to reduce nuisance alerts. o

NEW OPTELITY CARE PROGRAM KEEPS IN-FLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT FRESH TrueNorth Avionics announced its new Optelity Care in-flight entertainment (IFE) support program at NBAA 2015. Optelity Care is designed to help operators keep airborne connectivity systems up-to-date as technology advances, specifically TrueNorth’s Optelity Pro Cabin Gateway wireless router and Iridium satcom.

“Cabin and airborne connectivity [equipment] evolves rapidly,” said TrueNorth CEO Mark van Berkel. “One of the biggest shifts that we’re seeing is around the connected aircraft. That’s what TrueNorth has been about since day one.

Connected aircraft are now taking off everywhere. [There is] even a demand for maintenance purposes. Technicians want to be able to connect tablets and download data and check maintenance status, and make electronic logbook entries

PHASE 1 OF CLAY LACY EXPANSION COMPLETED As the first phase of a $10 million development plan, Clay Lacy Aviation (Booth C11229) has opened an additional 2.5 acres of ramp space at its Van Nuys Airport FBO, providing more space for overnight parking and aircraft positioning and reducing the need for towing.

The upgrade project, which will encompass six acres in total, is aimed at creating the Los Angeles area’s best and most secure private aviation complex. According to the company, the physical orientation of planned buildings, combined with refurbishment of existing facilities, will all be directed toward that goal.

“We are excited that significant

enables pilots to view ADS-B in information including FIS-B weather and TIS-B traffic on mobile devices such as Apple iPads or Android devices running the Garmin Pilot app.

SurfaceWatch is available as an option on certain Garmin G2000 through G5000 flight decks, through Garmin’s OEM network, and it provides aural and visual annunciations to warn pilots that they are about to takeoff or land on too short a runway, on the wrong runway or on a taxiway.

SurfaceWatch can also give audible runway distanceremaining annunciations from 5,000 to 500 feet remaining. The annunciations are based on takeoff/landing data performance data entered before flight, or if these aren’t available, pilots can enter runway length information manually.

progress is being made toward completion of our much anticipated south campus,” said Brian Kirkdoffer, president and CEO of the 47-year-old company. “Every detail of our new and improved facilities has been designed with the privacy, comfort and safety of our clients in mind.”

Work on the project began in February and by the time it concludes next summer it will include another acre of apron, a new 63,000-sq-ft hangar capable of sheltering ultra-long-range business jets, 21,000 sq ft of office space and an indoor glassenclosed event space featuring the display of Clay Lacy’s Learjet 23, the first business jet to land at Van Nuys Airport in 1964. –C.E.

without having to go back into the terminal.”

Optelity Care is a membership program, and TrueNorth is offering two years of membership for the price of one to Optelity Pro Cabin Gateway purchasers, for a limited time.

Included in the membership is all future hardware and software upgrades, early notification of new features and upgrades, AOG services, “no-questions-asked advance exchanges for all TrueNorth equipment installed on the aircraft,” and “exclusive hotline, email service and support resources,” according to TrueNorth.

“What we have heard from our customers is that they are frustrated by how quickly their investment in cabin connectivity becomes obsolete by the rapidly changing landscape of mobile devices,” said van Berkel. “We listened, and the Optelity Care

program provides a way for business jet operators to maintain that investment long into the future.”

The Optelity Cabin Gateway comes in four configurable packages, ranging from the Optelity Wi-Fi base model for $24,995 to the Optelity Pro, and features can be upgraded by simple software updates. The Cabin Gateway Pro is a 2MCU-size unit weighing about 7.3 pounds, offering 801.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and two Iridium voice channels plus an integrated PBX and IP-based router. It supports Voice over IP and is compatible with all types of mobile devices as well as TrueNorth’s Stylus, Wi-Fi, Corded Ethernet and Classic Ethernet headsets.

TrueNorth is holding a “TrueTini Liquid Lounge” customer-appreciation event today at its NBAA booth (C13639) from 3 to 6 p.m.

–M.T.

Desert Jet dips into the FBO business

by Curt Epstein California-based aircraft charter, management and maintenance provider Desert Jet will expand its operations at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) in the Palm Springs area, with the announcement that it is establishing its own FBO. Operations are slated to begin next month from a temporary structure, while the permanent $5 million FBO is expected to be completed by the end of April.

“Desert Jet’s decision to invest in this aircraft hangar, terminal and office development project reflects our confidence in the role of the Jacqueline Cochrane Regional Airport as the center of business aviation operations in our region,” said company president and CEO Denise Wilson, who believes the new facility with its modern design and function will change the landscape at the Thermal airport, which has seen significant growth over the past decade.

Currently TRM is served

58 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Best known as an aircraft charter/management specialist, Desert Jet is expanding its scope to include this FBO complex in Palm Springs, California (TRM). The $5 million project is slated for completion in April.

by Signature Flight Support and Landmark Aviation FBOs, but with the recent news that Signature parent company BBA Aviation is attempting to acquire Landmark, it remains to be seen whether Signature will be allowed to combine the two locations into a single FBO. ] The five-acre Desert Jet Center will include 10,000 sq ft of terminal, office and maintenance space, along with a 22,500-sq-ft hangar that will accommodate the latest class of ultra-long-range business jets with its 130-foot wide, 28-foottall doors.

The company signed on as an Epic-branded dealer and will be exhibiting here at NBAA as part of the fuel provider’s lineup of FBOs (Booth C6609). It is in the process of installing its tank farm, which when complete will hold 48,000 gallons of jet-A. Established in 2007, Desert Jet’s charter/management and maintenance businesses will be exhibiting separately here at the show at Booth C13328. o

International travel just got a lot more comfortable at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Neb. Tac Air has added a Customs and Border Protection facility to its FBO.

Tac Air adds upgrades throughout its network

by Curt Epstein Texas-based Aviation services provider chain Tac Air announced that a new 2,000-sqft purpose-built U.S Customs and Border Protection facility has opened at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Neb. Attached directly to its FBO, the new facility, established in conjunction with the Omaha Airport Authority, will provide a “seamless experience for all general aviation aircraft arriving at OMA from outside the U.S.,” said Matt Davis, Tac Air’s director of business development.

The company is also currently undertaking an $11 million redevelopment project at Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, Ark., which will see the construction of a new executive terminal, and is adding hangar space at its Texarkana, Ark., and Hartford, Conn. locations.

As part of a continuing chainwide improvement program, Tac Air (Booth C7333) recently completed an upgrade to its complementary Wi-Fi Internet service at each of its 14 locations, installing

Shanghai FBO sees traffic spike in October

By Curt Epstein Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Centre (SHPBAC) has just logged its busiest month of activity in October, according to the company, which is the host of NBAA’s annual Asian Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (ABACE). The FBO, located at Shanghai Hongqiao October was a busy month for business aviation traffic at the Shanghai Hawker Pacific FBO in China.

Airport, logged 347 movements during the month, the most since it began operations in 2010. So far this year, movements are up 16 percent over 2014, with yearover-year improvements each month thus far.

While aircraft sales in the country have cooled in the wake of government-enacted

new equipment that will expand the signal coverage area on the ramps, providing “a higher level of customer service, especially for flight crews during a quick turn,” noted vice president and COO Christian Sasfai.

Seeking to also upgrade its customer service, the company signed a long-term agreement with ServiceElements International to develop and implement a customized training program aimed at integrating every customer touch point across the entire FBO network.

“We’re very proud of how hard our associates work to deliver exceptional customer service to our customers,” said Sasfai. “We want to make sure we give them every tool available to help them be the very best at what they do.”

To help implement the new program, the company has promoted Tracy Hykes from customer service supervisor at its Lexington, Ky. location, to its Dallas-based senior management staff as manager of administrative services. o anti-extravagance laws, flight activity has remained solid.

“Shanghai continues to be the center for business in China and both the Asian and international business communities keep flying despite whatever the daily economic news or drama,” said Carey Matthews, the company’s general manager. “The numbers verify that business aviation is taking a deep root into the economic environment of China and is being more robust than many are giving it credit for.”

The company also announced it has received approval from the Chinese government to conduct maintenance on Gulfstream G450 and G550. “Gulfstream aircraft are a significant percentage of the Asian-based business community,” said Dr. Lu Xin, Shanghai Hawker Pacific’s deputy general manager. “Shanghai is one of the primary destinations for those aircraft, and we felt that having this maintenance capability here in Shanghai was critical to continuing to foster the development of business aviation in the region.”

The company’s maintenance, repair and overhaul operation was the first for business aviation in China when it opened in 2011. o

NEWS CLIPS z Banyan Selected as FANS Installation Center Banyan Air Service has been selected as an installation center for Chicago Jet Group’s FANS-1A+/CPDLC supplemental type certification packages. Chicago Jet Group (Booth C7012) obtained its first FANS-1A+/CPDLC STC in 2013 aboard a Falcon 50 and has since worked on STCs for several airframes.

Banyan Air Service (Booth C11638) has avionics experience on Falcon, Challenger and Gulfstream types and has worked on a large base of both domestic and foreign-registered aircraft with repair station approvals from the FAA and EASA, as well as from aviation authorities in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Venezuela.

Based at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Banyan Air Service will be an installation facility for both U.S. and international customers for Chicago Jet Group.

z Clay Lacy Joins the Air Elite Network Clay Lacy Aviation has become the latest FBO operator to join the World Fuel Services-sponsored Air Elite network. The agreement includes both of the company’s bases at Van Nuys (Calif.) and Seattle Boeing Field/King County International airports. The locations–which offer a wide range of services such as aircraft charter and management, maintenance and aircraft sales–will also become Ascent Fuel branded.

“We are excited to join Air Elite’s worldwide network of uniquely exceptional FBOs,” said Clay Lacy president and CEO Brian Kirkdoffer. “The company’s global resources and expert team of professionals provide us the best tools and resources to continually enhance the FBO experience for passengers and their crewmembers.” Both locations provide 24/7 quick turn service, availability of U.S. Customs pointsof-entry and drive-up ramp access.

Over the past year, Air Elite has bolstered its roster with six other FBOs, including KaiserAir in Oakland, Calif.; Dassault Falcon Service at Paris Le Bourget; Grafair Jet Center in Stockholm, Sweden; Sky Services’ locations in Milan and Venice, Italy; and the Yu Lounge in Mauritius. Combined, they bring the upscale group’s membership to 51 FBOs worldwide.

z LoPresti Aviation Shows BoomBeam Lights LoPresti Aviation (Booth N3411) of Sebastian, Fla., has responded to customer requests by developing its BoomBeam HID light kit for the Bombardier Challenger and CRJ series.

“The first Challenger we went after was the Challenger 300,” explained David LoPresti, vice president of LoPresti Aviation.

“This aircraft has old technology 50-watt HID lights with less than desirable optics. We replaced this with our new dual multi-array lights, powered with our next generation BoomBeam HID lighting. We have replaced the old 50-watt units with 170watt BoomBeam lights and updated the reflector to the next generation of optics.” The older Challenger 600 and CRJ series aircraft, however, have AC electrical power and therefore would not work with LoPresti’s BoomBeam lighting. “We had to come up with new ballast arrangement and a voltage converter to power the light system,” said Tyler Wheeler, CEO of LoPresti Aviation. “We now have a rock-solid taxi and landing light system that improves lighting performance while adding reliability to the aircraft.”

z FlyRight Donates King Air 350 Training to Able “When I heard all about the amazing work that Able Flight does, offering flight and aviation career training to people with physical disabilities that increases their self-confidence and independence, I knew that it was something FlyRight should be a part of,” said FlyRight president Matt Hapgood. The Charlotte, N.C., company is an FAA Part 142 training provider specializing in King Air flight simulation-based training (Booth C7633).

The recipient of the training scholarship, Randy Green, was born without hands or feet. That said, he has never let his disability stop him from pursuing his passion for flight. He is an ATP, multiengine-rated pilot with both single- and multiengine flight instructor certificates, and currently flies a Cessna P210 as a corporate pilot. “With a new King Air type rating I’ll have even more opportunities,” said Green.

www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 59

NEWS CLIPS z Emery Air Offers A&P Apprenticeships Emery Air at Chicago/Rockford International Airport launched an aircraft maintenance apprenticeship program with the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship. The program will provide on-the-job training for workers interested in earning their FAA Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic’s certificate.

Trainees will receive hands-on experience and earn certifications needed for careers as aviation mechanics and technicians. According to Emery Air (Booth 6907), this is the first such aviation apprenticeship program in the continental U.S. “We are extremely pleased to be working with ApprenticeshipUSA and Rock Valley College [at Rockford airport] on this new and innovative program,” said Emery Air CEO Jim Zaros.

Meanwhile, Emery Air is celebrating its 55th year of Beechcraft support. Hartzog Aviation (now Emery Air) became a Beechcraft sales and service center in 1960. The company now provides service for the entire Beechcraft line, including Baron, Bonanza, King Air, Hawker, Premier and Beech 1900. Emery is also certified to work on Embraer 135s, 145s and 170s and the Bombardier CRJ 200, 700 and 900 and Dash 8/Q400-series.

z FlightSafety To Train LAPD Helicopter Pilots The Los Angeles Police Department’s Air Support Unit has selected FlightSafety International to provide Airbus Helicopters AS350 B3 level-D simulator training at its new Denver learning center beginning in 2017. The LAPD already trains with FlightSafety on the Bell 412 and King Air 200 simulators.

The new Denver center will be equipped with level-D simulators for the Bell 407GXP and Airbus AS350 B3, H130, and H135. The simulators will feature the Vital 1100 visual system, CrewView glass mirror display, electric motion control and cueing and advanced instructor operating station. The facility will also offer classrooms and customer service areas and will add simulators as required.

z Aircelle Displays Make Bizjets Glow Safran’s Aircelle division made a big impression on Paris Air Show visitors in June when it demonstrated its superthin electroluminescent variable display lighting on an Airbus A380. For NBAA 2015 Aircelle (Booth N5317) has integrated the display onto a 370-microns-thin magnetically backed film that can be easily positioned on a business jet, turning it into an infinitely reprogrammable glowing canvas for images and animations. The jet literally glows with the Aircelle Illuminate the Sky system installed.

“This is a unique solution for business aircraft owners who want their aircraft to really stand out with customized personalization, and for corporate branding,” explained Serge Rière, Aircelle’s site and operations director. The French company is currently in discussions with several companies regarding multiple applications for the electro-luminescent displays.

z Optelity and Hot Spot Play With SmartSky 4G TrueNorth Avionics has confirmed the capability of its Optelity Cabin Gateway and hot-spot systems with SmartSky Network’s upcoming 4G LTE-based wireless network. Noting the SmartSky Network will offer more than 10 times the typical speed and capacity of other air-to-ground networks, Canada-based TrueNorth (C13639) said the combination with its Optelity router system will increase productivity in the cabin.

“The convergence of information, communications and entertainment in the cabin means faster connectivity speeds are a requirement for today’s aircraft,” commented TrueNorth CEO Mark van Berkel. He pointed to SmartSky’s progression over the past couple of years, and said its 4G LTE-based beamforming technology “enables a significantly better experience.”

Optelity is TrueNorth’s newest product family, which enables connectivity on a range of mobile devices to provide an experience in air that is comparable to being on the ground, the company said.

Nexcelle installs Passport nacelles ahead of Global 7000 flight testing

by Charles Alcock Nexcelle recently delivered nacelles for the first two GE Aviation Passport engines that will power Bombardier’s new Global 7000. In September, the integration of the nacelles and engines was completed at GE’s Peebles test facility in Ohio, and the first two powerplants have since been delivered to Bombardier’s Toronto manufacturing facility, where they were installed on the first flight test vehicle (FTV1).

Though Bombardier has chosen to delay the Global 7000 development program by around a year, Nexcelle is expecting to maintain the planned rate of nacelle deliveries so that the airframer can prepare all the required test aircraft head of flight testing.

The first nacelles were delivered on time and almost all ground testing for these units is complete, with another 225cycle test still to be conducted

by Nexcelle, which is a joint venture between GE Aviation’s Middle River Aircraft Systems division and Safran’s Aircelle subsidiary (Booth N5317). The

In September, the nacelles for the first GE Passport engines to power Bombardier’s Global 7000 were installed at GE’s Peebles facility in Ohio.

nacelle has already been flight tested for more than 100 hours on another engine fitted on GE’s Boeing 747 testbed.

The Passport engine’s nacelle consists of three major components: the inlet, fan cowl and thrust reverser. The aluminum inlet was designed to reduce aerodynamic drag. Other innovative features include an anti-ice system that redirects warm air through a nozzle and a 360-deg, single-section extended composite inner barrel that gives acoustic protection

against lower engine noise levels.

Aerodynamic efficiency also is enhanced by target-type thrust reversers with kicker plates and a fixed nozzle that improves cruise performance, as well as thrust efficiency in reverse mode. The clamshellshaped composite fan cowl makes maintenance easier.

Meanwhile, Nexcelle also is developing the integrated nacelle for the CFM International Leap-1C engine that will power China’s new Comac C919 airliner. o

Million Air Vancouver marks the first Ascent-branded facility for World Fuel Services in Canada.

World’s Ascent branding makes debut in Canada

by Curt Epstein World Fuel Services (WFS) has begun the expansion of its Ascentbranded FBO network into the Canadian market with the addition of Million Air Vancouver as its first location north of the border. The branding will give the Million Air facility access to WFS’s various customer support initiatives, as well as to the FlyBuys Rewards loyalty program.

“The addition of this worldclass operation to our network bolsters our presence in the Canadian market and sets the table for future growth in the

60 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

region,” said Owen Busch, the fuel provider’s vice president for business aviation bulk sales.

In addition, the group’s World Fuel/Colt trip support division has expanded its capabilities with the establishment of a 24/7 flight operation center in China and a regional office in Johannesburg, South Africa. The company now has seven regional offices, which also include Brazil, Switzerland, the UK, Singapore and Canada.

“Since the integration of Colt and BaseOps, we have expanded our global resources to deliver

high-quality, customized trip support to every customer on every trip,” said Jeff Briand, senior vice president of World Fuel/Colt Global Trip Support.

“Our model is to find the best service providers across the globe and then integrate them into our operations and technologies.”

World Fuel (Booth C11216) has also established new partnerships with safety management training provider Baldwin Aviation, private aviation caterer Vintage Catering and letter of authorization (LOA) expeditor Go RVSM. Customer requests for LOAs are now processed directly through World Fuel/Colt Trip Support. Go RVSM will then collect the required information and submit electronically to the FAA for review, speeding up turnaround times. o

The stripes and hexagonal patterns on the Sexyjet GV appear to change color, an effect of the ChromaLusion paint, itself an unusual feature on aircraft.

GV gets ‘sexy’ exterior for charter operations

by James Wynbrandt Duncan Aviation is proving here in Las Vegas that watching paint dry is anything but dull. At its display area (Booth N4910) the aviation services provider is showcasing a timelapse video of what it calls the most complex and costly paint scheme design and application the company has ever undertaken, recently done on a GV. Unique in both layout and materials, the design features stripes and hexagonal patterns that appear to change color, due to the characteristic “flip-flop” effect of the Axalta Coating ChromaLusion paint (often seen on show cars but rarely on airplanes) used on much of the fuselage. The colors gradiate through different spectrums as they wrap around the airframe and change angles from the viewer. The green background and red and silver stripes come together at the radome, where

the shifting shades put on something akin to a psychedelic light show as they appear to change colors, appearing as silver, gold, blue and purple.

Duncan designers Ken Reita and Lori Bailey brought GV owner Mark Bonfigli’s vision for the design into reality. “It’s really complex, with a lot of logos and two different base colors,” Reita said. “We’ve done [paint

New seats will be included in the second phase of interior refurbishment.

schemes for heads of state] who wanted something to stand out; this is above all others.”

The exterior paint project was part of a two-phase refurbishment project for the Gulfstream.

“The GV has beautiful lines and proportions; it’s great for a scheme like this,” said Reita.

“It’s basically like a piece of art, a showpiece. It really raises the bar on personal expression someone puts into a corporate aircraft like this.”

Not surprisingly, the owner is eager for the aircraft to be noticed. It will be operated

by Metropolitan Aviation as Sexyjet, the name an homage cum branding tool for Sexy Beach Tennis, which makes beach tennis gear. Bonfigli and his wife, who compete on the professional beach tennis circuit, founded Sexy Beach Tennis and plan to expand the brand into other lifestyle products,

including perhaps branded aircraft charters.

As an entrepreneur, Bonfigli was a frequent charter customer before buying his GV, and plans to offer a level of service and style he often found wanting on his charter flights. He feels Metropolitan Aviation, based at Virginia’s Manassas Regional Airport, shares his service-centric philosophy. Metropolitan operates a Falcon 900 and 50s, Challenger 601, Hawker 800A, Citation Ultra and Eagle and a Piper Cheyenne II on its Part 135 certificate. Sexyjet became available for charter on November 1.

Phase 1 of the interior upgrade included a softgoods refurbishment, and new carpets, headliners, sidewalls and window panels, along with installation of BE Aerospace multispecrtrum lighting. Phase 2, scheduled for next year, will include installation of new seats and cabinetry.

“The interior is going to be just as innovative and bold and stylish as the exterior,” Reita said. “The hexagon pattern will be carried through on the interior, such as in quilted insert areas of the seats, small accents that bring the interior and exterior together and complement each other.”

The refurbishment cost was “in the millions,” Bonfigli said.

Asked if he could have achieved his success without business aviation, he said, “I don’t think I could have done it efficiently, and the business would have taken a hit with that inefficiency.

It’s hard to put a dollar value on the ability to avoid lost opportunity…I would never have traded one charter flight I paid for for a commercial one.”

Unfortunately, neither Sexyjet nor Bonfigli is here for the show.

They’re in Aruba for the Aruba International Beach Tennis Championships, going on now. o

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www.mecaer.com www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 61

Meridian broke ground in July on its FBO and hangar facility at Hayward Executive Airport. Below, an artist’s rendering provides a glimpse of what the facility will look like when it opens on August 1 next year.

Meridian heads to West Coast

by James Wynbrandt Teterboro-based charter/management company Meridian (Booth N4925) arrives at NBAA in the midst of its West Coast expansion, having broken ground in July on an FBO and hangar facility at Hayward Executive Airport near San Francisco.

“The grand opening is slated for August 1,” said Ken Forester, Jr., Meridian CEO. “We think there will be a very good synergy between our two operations.” The facility, constructed by Tectonic Design, will include a 6,300-sq-ft FBO and offices, a 30,000-sq-ft hangar and a 3.5-acre ramp. The hangar will accommodate aircraft as large as the Global Express and Gulfstream G650. As at its TEB facility, Meridian will provide charter/management services, a Part 145 repair station and aircraft detailing at Hayward.

Meridian has a 50-year lease on the property, and the construction is the first part of a multi-phase development plan, with an initial commitment of $10 million. A second 12,000-sq-ft terminal, two 40,000-sq-ft hangars and an additional seven acres of ramp space will be added in five to ten years, “depending on how the business evolves,” Forester said.

Meridian also recently completed the refurbishment of a Hayward-based Citation XLS with new paint and interior, including Gogo Biz Wi-Fi and Inmarsat satellite phone system. Since last year’s convention the company has also added two Challenger 605s and a Falcon 2000 EX EASy to its fleet of more than 20 aircraft, which includes a Global 5000, Gulfstream G550, GIV-SP and G200, Falcon 900EX EASy and 2000, Challenger 604, 601-3R and 6013A, Hawker 900XP, 800XP and 800SP and Citation XLS, VII and Mustang.

The company has several super-midsize jets “in the pipeline,” Forester said, and the fleet “should be growing significantly on the East Coast and West Coast in the next few months.”

62 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Meridian has hired two additional charter sales staffers, one based in Los Angeles and one in Austin, Texas, in anticipation of the increased activity the new facility and growing fleet are expected to generate. The company also has charter sales offices at San Jose International Airport and Sonoma County Airport. Forester noted the company had “just sent our G550 around the world on fairly short notice,” demonstrating its ability to support its management and charter clients, wherever and whenever they need.

Meridian has also enhanced its digital presence, adding in September its first video, highlighting the company’s full service capabilities, to the website it relaunched last year. Among other improvements, the redesigned website includes a translation tool that makes it more “international friendly,” Forester said.

Here at the show members of Meridian’s East Coast and new West Coast teams are hosting attendees in its new booth, which debuted last year, and are eager to talk to owners, chief pilots or others about the company’s management capabilities.

Meanwhile work continues on a new 40,000-sq-ft hangar at the company’s Teterboro base, with completion scheduled for December of next year. The Teterboro repair facility is both FAA and EASA certified, and is a Honeywell-authorized TFE731 and 36 series APU service center.

The facility is also a Northeast Honeywell avionics and mechanical parts depot, and technicians are certified to work on Beechjets, Challengers, Citations, Falcons, Gulfstreams, Hawkers and Learjets.

Looking ahead, Meridian may establish a charter sales office in Miami. Until then, “we’re certainly looking for opportunities as they come up,” Forester said, though the company is intent on keeping expansion under control. “We’re looking to grow in an orderly fashion,” he said. o

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Single-pilot groups merge expertise

by Robert P. Mark The NBAA’s annual singlepilot safety standdown ran much of the day before this year’s convention opened in Las Vegas on November 17. Organized by the association’s Safety Committee,

the standdown focused on a host of topics, including loss of control and how different that topic might appear to some pilots when viewed through the lens of a single-pilot operation.

Standdown invitees ran the gamut, from Cirrus pilots and support staff to TBM and Pilatus operators and type-rated pilots now flying light jets such as the Eclipse

500/550, Phenom 100/300 or the CitationJet series, all capable of being flown routinely by just one pilot. Single-pilot working group chairman Jim Lara, principal of Gray Stone Advisors, said, “The standdown is focused on real-world scenarios that we all have to deal with. Every aviator owes it to himself to attend.”

While the most recent FAA and NTSB accident data doesn’t necessarily point to the operation of turbine airplanes with one pilot on board as any riskier than the operation of similar-size aircraft when flown with two pilots, the same cannot be said of lighter single-engine aircraft. The NTSB’s 2013 data showed that 1,224 accidents claimed 429 lives, and many of these involved aircraft flown by one pilot, often the owner.

A number of members of the association’s safety committee–called the single-pilot working group (SPWG)–decided to merge their collective expertise to try and make a dent in the accident numbers, regardless of the powerplant type. Many of the SPWG members are professional pilots or flight instructors.

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64 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

In January, the team decided that a short video highlighting potential hazards for pilots flying alone might be a great vehicle to tell a story of how pilots can become overwhelmed when flying IFR. The video could then offer tips for how to exit such a hazardous situation.

Aptly titled Alone in the Cockpit, the new video was created by the joint efforts of Embraer CAE Training, Gulfstream, Embraer, NBAA, FAA, Stage Front Productions and CommAvia. While some initially questioned the reality of a story with a pilot becoming overwhelmed and nearly losing control of the airplane when flying a light jet IFR into a busy hub like Miami, others thought it made for a perfect potential scenario, and the die was cast.

The video debuted at the single-pilot standdown and will be placed on the NBAA website.

After months of debate, the SPWG decided the remainder of the nearly day-long standdown should include speakers with unique perspectives on singlepilot operations. Chosen to join the event were NTSB member Earl Weener, Tom Turner from the American Bonanza Society and BJ Ransbury of Aviation Performance Solutions.

The single-pilot standdown ended just after lunch, with a presentation by Garmin’s Noel Duerksen, speaking about current and future technologies that can be used to make IFR flying easier when there’s just one pilot aboard. o

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AviationGlass opening a window with lightweight cabin glass solutions

by James Wynbrandt AviationGlass & Technology (AG&T) is here at NBAA showcasing its patented AeroGlass lightweight, ultra-thin glass products. They are the first approved for use in aircraft cabins under EASA’s Part 21G requirements, according to the company. That distinction was earned when AG&T (Booth C10146) received in June an EASA STC for installation of an AeroGlass Lens and AeroGlass Mirror in a Falcon 900, replacing all protective inner windowpanes in the cabin and mirrors in the lavatory.

“These EASA certifications are significant for the industry, as, since 2010, more stringent conditions apply to permit the use of glass inside aircraft cabins,”

said CEO John Rietveldt, “and this is the first time any aviation authority has approved the production and installation of such lightweight glass for the interior of an aircraft. For us, it also represents a solid step forward in the realization of our vision to upgrade aircraft cabin interiors while guaranteeing safety, which remains of paramount importance,” he added.

AviationGlass & Technology was launched in 2012 to produce transparencies and mirrors for the aviation industry.

AeroGlass products are available as: AeroGlass Mirror for lavatory finishes and other mirror applications; AeroGlass Lens, a scratch-resistant inner window

panel; and AeroGlass Interior, for interior doors, bulkheads and kitchen appliances. AeroGlass barely expands or contracts when exposed to extreme temperatures and can be produced in any shape or size. Up to 50 percent thinner and 25 percent lighter than traditional polycarbonate products, as well as scratch- and UV-resistant, AeroGlass also boasts high optical quality with its crystal-clear (99.9 percent transparent) panels and mirrors.

AG&T says cost of ownership and maintenance are significantly reduced due to the products’ high level of durability and resistance to scratching when cleaning and handling. Production procedures guarantee quality at delivery

Lower weight and improved durability are hallmarks of AeroGlass ultrathin products.

The materials are for mirrors and windows that are installed on doors and bulkheads.

time and installation, whereas classic polycarbonate and other polymeric products can result in a rejection rate of up to 70 percent of materials at the time of installation, according to the company.

EASA also issued a Production Organization Approval certificate to the company’s state-of-the-art 43,000-sq-ft manufacturing facil-

Pentastar Aviation unveils its design studio

by David A. Lombardo Pentastar Aviation has opened a new aircraft interior design studio at its Oakland County (Mich.) International Airport headquarters to support the company’s aircraft completions business. Industry studies forecast that the global market for aircraft interior modification services could reach $17 billion by 2019, a trend that compelled Pentastar to build the dedicated design studio.

“With the opening of this studio, our clients can meet our experts and touch and feel the high-quality materials we use to bring aircraft cabin visions to life,” said Pentastar chairman and owner Edsel Ford II.

“We are extremely proud of this facility and our staff who work with Gordon Ross, our director of interiors. This shop and our team of skilled experts and artisans, with more than 130 years of combined experience, give us the capability to redesign entire aircraft interiors to make them more efficient and more attractive using the most current technology and materials.”

Michigan-based Pentastar Aviation (Booth C7329) provides aircraft management, advisory services, maintenance, avionics services, interior services, FBO services, and jet charter operated through Pentastar Aviation Charter. o

Pentastar Aviation has added a dedicated interior design studio to support its completions business. The company offers custom cabinetry and upholstery, custom-tailored carpets, cabin-management and -entertainment systems and sound deadening and engineering.

The new shop gives customers a chance to see and feel the soft goods that will be used in their aircraft.

66 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

ity in Voorthuizen, Netherlands, certifying its quality control system for supplying aviation industry products in compliance with EASA Part 21G. Certification required passing rigorous safety tests including the 21-joule ball impact test, abuse load tests and head impact tests to ensure the glass can safely withstand forceful contact. o

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Blackhawk engine mod empowers Caravan fleet

by Mark Huber Blackhawk Modifications (Booth C12012) has received FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for its 867shp XP140 new engine upgrade for Cessna 208A and 208B

Caravans. The more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A140 engine gives the Caravan a 44percent increase in available shp over a stock aircraft. It replaces the original 600/675-shp Caravans

that were not equipped with the Garmin G1000 avionics system.

Blackhawk already has received more than a dozen orders for the upgrade, which features the same powerplant currently available on factory new Caravan EX models.

Blackhawk experts will be here at NBAA to answer questions about the new conversion and they can also take customer orders.

The Waco, Texas, company is offering the upgrade as an aftermarket replacement for the

Cessna’s perennially popular Caravan series now has a Blackhawk engine upgrade for the -140 version of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6A engine. The -140 version is a more affordable option than Blackhawk’s -42A upgrade, developed for high-elevation operations.

Alto offers audio boost for Phenom retrofits

by James Wynbrandt Aircraft cabin audio equipment maker Alto Aviation (Booth N4907) is showcasing here at NBAA a new cabin public address (PA) and audio entertainment solution designed for Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 light jet retrofits. The PA system employs 100 percent fitcompatible speakers and a digital amplifier for factory provisioned speaker locations on all Phenom 100s and 300s.

“This solution provides operators with a basic PA system not offered in new Phenoms, and also offers an option for a premium business aviation audio entertainment system that Alto Aviation is recognized for,” said Steve Lord, senior technical sales manager of the Sterling, Mass.based company.

The PA system allows the pilot to communicate safety and

make personal announcements to passengers in the cabin without using intercom headsets, via a PA key on the audio panel.

Passengers can also use personal media devices to listen to and control music volume through an onboard Alto Aviation digital sound system. Announcements made over the PA will override entertainment audio.

A second option includes four source inputs, which may include Sirius XM radio, CD/DVD, aux input and PA. Source selection and volume are controlled from an Alto Acapella VIP keypad, which also provides a secondary aux input. The PA system and both entertainment audio options can be integrated with an existing Phenom 100 IFE package, and with basic and premium IFE packages in the Phenom 300.

Alto recently added to its line of premium cabin entertainment systems through an agreement with Innovative Advantage to use the latter’s AVDS nodes as an integral part of the Alto audio/video solution under a private label.

AVDS video distribution systems support video switching to

68 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

standard PT6A-114 (600-shp) or the PT6A-114A (675-shp).

Blackhawk said -140 engine customers could expect significant improvements in climb performance, cruise speeds, takeoff distances and operations in icing conditions.

For Caravan owners who routinely operate at airports above 6,000 feet elevation with heavy loads on hot days, Blackhawk also offers the P&WC PT6A42A as an even higher-power option. But the company said the -140 engine is a less-expensive alternative for operators who fly at lower altitudes, particularly those operating on floats.

The -140 conversion uses most of the standard aircraft’s major firewall-forward components and cowling, but it does include an Ametek 325-amp starter/generator, new Hartzell 104-inch, threeblade propeller and spinner, new Howell digital/analog instruments, larger-capacity oil cooler and ducting, all installation instructions and FAA-approved flight manual supplements.

“FAA certification now allows Blackhawk to quickly install this extremely cost-effective system that is going to take operators above and beyond their current capabilities,” said Jim Allmon, Blackhawk CEO. “The system allows operators to retain many components of their original -114/-114A engines while boosting performance at the same time.”

Float manufacturer Wipaire is an early customer for the conversion and has shown compatibility with the Blackhawk STC on Cessna 208A models equipped with its Wipline 8000 and 8750 floats. “The Caravan has needed a seamless engine upgrade like the PT6A-140 for a long time,” said Wipaire owner Bob Wiplinger. “Blackhawk’s hot rod engine upgrade delivers impressive results for operators who have or are considering our Wipline floats. When I climbed to 2,000 feet above the ground at the end of a 4,000-foot runway, I was convinced that this engine is just what the Caravan needs.”

Earlier this year, Blackhawk took delivery of its 1,000th PT6A engine from Pratt & Whitney Canada. “Having a strong working relationship with Pratt is as essential as having the STC that allows you to install new engines on older aircraft,” said Edwin Black, Blackhawk’s senior vice president for sales and marketing. Blackhawk has been installing PT6A engines for 16 years.

Blackhawk provides new engine installations and STC paperwork for all models of the King Air 90 and 200 series, Cessna Conquest, Piper Cheyenne I, II, IIXL and Cessna Caravan 208A and 208B. Blackhawk engine upgrades have been performed on more than 500 aircraft worldwide. o

multiple monitors in either standard definition or high definition modes. With the addition of the AVDS node and an onboard wireless Wi-Fi router, the audio and video system may be controlled by Apple or Android mobile devices.

Every Alto audio system is custom designed and

acoustically contoured specifically for each cabin installation and engineered to provide the highest level of sound performance at 40,000 feet. The sound systems are standard equipment on Gulfstream, Falcon, Embraer Lineage and Legacy series, and larger Cessna Citation jets. o

For Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 operators who prefer having on-board PA capability, or are just looking to upgrade their in-flight audio equipment, Alto Aviation offers this updated system, which can include Sirius XM radio, CD/DVD, aux input and PA.

Embraer takes control of its seating-tech needs

by Mark Huber groundbreaking of the new 50,000-sq-ft facility, located in the Titusville Spaceport Commerce Park, took place on September 9. The facility is due for completion during the second half of 2016 and will begin operations immediately.

EAST develops and manufactures 16-g aviation seating products for a wide range of customers, including widebody, narrowbody and business and VVIP aircraft. EAST also designs, develops and manufactures seats for Embraer commercial and executive jets.

EAST currently offers a wide range of seats featuring vertical lift and full-flat berthing single seats and divans certified for aircraft such as the Embraer Lineage 1000, Bombardier XRS and CRJ-200, Boeing BBJ and Airbus ACJ. EAST’s

DAVID McINTOSH

Embraer is joining the trend of OEMs that have become more involved in the design and manufacture of their aircraft seating.

Earlier this year, Embraer completed its acquisition of Aero Seating Technologies (AST), a company headquartered in Irwindale, Calif., in a 35,000sq-ft facility. The company was formed in 2007 and has since grown to 56 employees.

At the 2015 Paris Airshow, Embraer announced that the company, now called Embraer Aero Seating Technologies (EAST), would build a new $3.5 million EAST manufacturing facility in Titusville, Fla., not far from Embraer’s assembly, completion and engineering campus in Melbourne. The Titusville operation will create 150 additional EAST jobs over the next four years. The

Bringing its seating-technology needs in-house, Embraer acquired California seat manufacturer Aero Seating Technologies (AST) and is now building a new factory in Florida. Renamed with ‘Embraer’ at the front, the company is now known as EAST.

Brazil okays IFD440, newAvidyne software

by Harry Weisberger Avidyne has received approval from Brazil’s regulatory agency ANAC for its panelmounted IFD440 FMS/GPS navcom, as well as clearance to release Version 10.1 software for the larger IFD540.

Lincoln, Mass.-based Avidyne (Booth C11540) is highlighting several features of the two integrated systems, including a hybrid touch-screen user interface, which allows users to access all features by touch or using knobs and buttons; integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth,

terrain alerting and full airway flight planning. The IFD440 has a 4.8-inch (diagonal) display and the IFD540’s measures 5.7 inches.

Release 10.1 is a field-loadable upgrade for the IFD540 that includes product improvements and new functionality. It also includes software required to remove the emergency airworthiness directive regarding limitations on GPS approaches in the U.S. issued in May 2015 on existing IFD540s. With the R10.1 upgrade, this AD can

next-generation family of VIP seats may include a fully electric seat with wireless controls for seat movements. Optional features may include power-assist controls, massage and even audio response massage, lumbar adjustment, heating elements and passive and active cooling. Furthermore, EAST is capable of accommodating any upholstery design based on customer specifications.

Francisco Soares, Embraer senior v-p supply chain and manufacturing, said, “EAST has the expertise to design, certify and manufacture aircraft seats and divans. However, that doesn’t mean that all Embraer aircraft seats will be switched to EAST seats.”

Soares said Embraer acquired the company because of its attention to craftsmanship. “EAST’s expertise has always focused on providing customers with the best-in-class seating products for the richest aircraft cabin experience, by integrating innovative design with meticulous craftsmanship, comfort and style,” he said, adding that there will undoubtedly be future collaboration between EAST and Embraer in Brazil and Melbourne. “EAST maintains its own engineering capabilities and capacity related to the models it produces. However, the EAST team is closely aligned with the product development team in Brazil as well as with the design team in Melbourne,” Soares said.

Embraer currently assembles and delivers the Phenom 100 and 300 light jets in Melbourne.

It plans to begin assembly of the new Legacy 450 and 500 midlight and midsize jets there in 2016. o now be removed from the limitations section of the airplane flight manual.

Other benefits of 10.1 include: rubber banding to change the active flight plan leg; more data blocks available via scrolling; monitoring of standby com frequency when coupled with the Avidyne AMX240 audio panel; user-customizable checklists; up to five user profiles can be stored; downloadable flight plans and userdefined waypoints; support for the Avidyne AXP322 ADS-B OUT remote Mode S transponder; wireless functionality using the MK10 mini keyboard; and display of ADS-B IN weather via Avidyne’s MLB100 or MLX200 receiver.

For aircraft owners looking

70 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

DAS adds site in Brazil

by Richard Pedicini Dallas Aeronautical Services (Booth C12234) has received approval from Brazil’s civil aviation authority ANAC for its new composites and structural repair facility in São José dos Campos.

The facility occupies more than 21,500 sq ft in a secure business park and aims to serve the business, commercial and military aviation markets in Brazil, and eventually in Mercosul, under the name DAS Brasil.

“Important conversations and agreements are already happening for DAS Brasil,” said managing director of Brazilian operations Eliezer M. da Silva.

“We are already working diligently with the major airline companies in order to become approved repair vendors.” DAS aims to follow the ANAC certification with EASA and FAA certification within the next two years. Other South American certifications will be considered only after that. “The majority of that market is in Brazil, but there are important operators in other South American countries,” he said. “Our goal is to make DAS Brasil a hub that can support needs from these operators in the surrounding countries.”

The new facility has already received more than half a million dollars in investment in equipment, tooling and specialized training of mechanics. The choice of São José dos Campos is due to “privileged logistics,” with proximity to airports, seaports and highways, as well as commercial aviation maintenance centers and

business aviation service centers in Sorocaba and Jundiaí.

Da Silva also cited “availability of infrastructure, engineering, needed vendors and technical work force to support DAS´s capabilities.” Embraer and the University of São Paulo jointly operate a composites materials research lab in São José dos Campos, about which da Silva noted, “The core business is different,” but there may be overlap down the road.

DAS Brasil’s technicians are currently training in Dallas, where DAS has operated for more than 30 years, with formal inauguration of the São José dos Campos facility planned after their return before the end of the year. o

DAC Adds Autopilots to GDC31’s AML List DAC International (Booth N3921) has added more autopilots to its approved model list supplemental type certificate (AML-STC) for the GDC31 roll steering converter. These include the ARC300 and ARC800, Century 2000 and KAP 140. The AML-STC currently covers about 700 aircraft makes and models. “The GDC31 interfaces with S-Tec, King, Century and other autopilots and provides our customers with an affordable way to retrofit existing aircraft systems with state-of-the-art capability,” said DAC v-p and general manager Cisco Hernandez. n

Avidyne’s IFD440 panel-mount GPS navigator is a plug-and-play replacemenf for the Garmin GNS430, and features hybrid touchscreen technology. Pilots can activate features via the touchscreen, but also the old-fashion way, with knobs and buttons.

to upgrade, the IFD440 and IFD540 are plug-and-play compatible with Garmin’s GNS430 and GNS530, respectively, meaning the Avidyne units slide directly into the Garmin mounting tray with no modification required. The IFD440 and IFD540 include

FMS and VHF navcom capability and meet TSO-C146c for full WAAS/SBAS/LPV approach guidance.

Retail prices, not including antennas, are $14,995 for the IFD440 and $16,995 for the IFD540. If an installation kit is needed, these cost $650. o

ERAU celebrating 90th anniversary

by Rob Finfrock This upcoming December 17 will mark not only the 112th year since Orville and Wilbur Wright ushered in the age of modern aviation as we know it.

It is also the 90th anniversary

for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), and celebrations of that momentous date will be in evidence throughout the university’s presence here at NBAA 2015.

Bill Hampton, EmbryRiddle’s vice president for marketing and enrollment management, said the university’s booth (N3713) will serve as “a welcome place not only

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for attendees, but also for past alumni,” and a place where they can learn more about ERAU’s rich legacy, while also taking a break from the bustle of the show floor. Also debuting at NBAA 2015 will be a new threeminute film covering highlights of Embry-Riddle’s rich history.

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opportunity to showcase a pretty remarkable story, one that has grown hand-in-hand with our nation’s aviation legacy,” he told AIN. “At the same time, we also want to gather input about what we’re doing right, and what we can do better to produce quality talent in the business aviation industry as we look to our 100th anniversary.”

While Hampton noted that ERAU doesn’t plan a formal event at NBAA marking the anniversary, “you’ll definitely know we’re celebrating,” he added.

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What would ultimately grow to become the world’s largest accredited aviation and aerospace university began as a small sales and training outfit at Lunken Field in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company was founded as The Embry-Riddle Company in 1925, and it didn’t take long for Talton Higbee Embry and John Paul Riddle to refocus their efforts specifically on aviation training, launching Embry-Riddle School of Aviation in spring 1926.

ERAU officially kicked off its year-long 90th anniversary celebration on September 30, with a 90th anniversary gathering during the annual OctoberWest homecoming event at EmbryRiddle’s Prescott, Ariz. campus.

Events included an open house to the public, and a performance by aerobatic performer Matt Chapman in his Extra 330LX, which is sponsored by the university. “Throughout that weekend, more than 500 alumni returned to the Prescott campus, where they celebrated with more than 2,500 current students, faculty and staff in Prescott,” Hampton noted.

Over the next year, one of the school’s very first training aircraft–a 1928 Waco biplane–will be touring the country (although not at NBAA 2015). Hampton also explained that ERAU has invested “about $200 million” on new buildings and other improvements to the Daytona Beach, Fla. and Prescott campuses.

“We’re issuing a challenge for alumni and industry alike,” he added. “Come back and rediscover ERAU today. Experience our history. Anyone who hasn’t been here in the past few years will be surprised.”

As for the official anniversary date, “we’ll be reaching out and pulling a huge social media ‘stunt’ on December 17,” Hampton concluded. “Watch out for special announcements and a special hashtag in partnership with our industry partners and employers.” o

Legacy shows strengths in steep-approach mode Embraer expects to receive approval shortly by Brazil’s ANAC for the Legacy 450 and 500 for steep approaches. AIN recently flew the 450 in Brazil to try the new capability.

I flew left seat with chief test pilot Eduardo Camelier for the flight from São José dos Campos Airport, where Embraer’s headquarters is located.

To prepare for the real thing, we first flew in the steep approach configuration while still in the mid-teen altitudes, using a 5.5-degree glideslope. This angle is adjustable, and we moved it down to 7.5 degrees to see what the view outside the windshield looked like. The 7.5-degree angle is a required certification test.

The steep approach mode is activated by a button: on this 450

it was on the aft center console but will be moved to the copilot’s right ledge area for the certified steep approach configuration.

In steep approach mode, the flaps must be fully extended.

After the pilot pushes the button, a white CAS messages illuminates, showing that the mode is armed. The system remains in the armed mode until selection of full flaps and gear down, at which point it engages and the CAS message turns green.

The mode turns off automatically in certain conditions, including flaps not full, aircraft on ground, takeoff/go-around, angle-of-attack near stall or flap extend speed exceeded.

Rather than selecting just open or closed, the fly-by-wire system modulates the wing spoilers

MATT THURBER

by Matt Thurber

AIN senior editor Matt Thurber and Embraer chief test pilot Eduardo Camelier flew a demo of the fly-by-wire Legacy 450’s steep approach capability. The flight included a steep approach at altitude, two touch-and-goes, followed by a final steep approach and full-stop landing at São José dos Campos Airport.

throughout their extension range to maintain the selected glideslope.

When Camelier changed the glideslope to 7.5 degrees and I pitched the nose down, the spoilers opened further to maintain the descent angle without increasing airspeed, and we could see the actual amount of spoiler deployment on the flight control synoptic on the cockpit

WYVERN EXPANDS SAFETY AUDIT PROGRAMS A year on from its acquisition by flight support group Nexus, safety audit provider Wyvern is continuing to refine its programs to give charter operators and their customers a higher level of assurance. “The past year has been one of robust growth under our new ownership, with a lot of new opportunities coming our way, especially in the emerging regions like the Middle East, Africa and India,” Wyvern CEO Art Dawley told AIN. The most recent new opportunity pursued by Wyvern (Booth N5509) addresses concerns over the safety of operating remotely piloted aerial systems (RPAS). This prompted the U.S.-based company to launch a new program called Exact to provide a safety certification process for RPAS operators that is benchmarked against ICAO’s Document 10019 standards.

Companies successfully completing the Excellence through Assessment, Consistency and Training program are listed in Wyvern’s preferred vendor network.

Wyvern also started accepting the Stage 2 level IS-BAO operating standards as the primary benchmark for its Wyvern Wingman audit programs for aircraft operators. “This provides a standardized set of global audit protocols,” explained Dawley. “However, what sets Wingman apart from the IS-BAO standards is that it provides current and verifiable safety data on factors such as individual pilot experience and operator safety compliance for a particular mission. It covers

Wyvern is now accepting Stage 2 level IS-BAO operating standards as the primary benchmark for the Wyvern Wingman audit program for aircraft operators.

roughly 220 data points. IS-BAO is a snapshot in time, but Wingman is a living audit.”

Separately, Wyvern’s Pilot & Aircraft Safety Survey (PASS) application is being expanded to include factors such as flight operational quality assurance (FOQA), upset training, comprehensive assessments of fatigue risk and smoke and fire containment strategies for lithium batteries in the audit process. The company is set to introduce a new version of PASS, which is effectively a flight-specific safety report card, to include a valueadded risk strategy. “We’re constantly making changes to our programs; they’re not static,” said Dawley.

Meanwhile, InterFlight Global is the latest charter broker to qualify for the Wyvern Broker network, which includes companies committed to maintaining a comprehensive safety program. Qualified brokers use Wyvern data programs including The Wingman Report and Safety Intelligence Report, as well as running PASS trip due-diligence reports for every charter flight booked for clients.

Wyvern expects the Wingman program to grow by as much as 22 to 25 percent over the next couple of years. The company now has seven offices around the world as part of the Nexus group.

The latest Wingman certified operator is Helicopteros Dominicanos. Based in the Domincan Republic, it is the first Caribbean operator to earn the rating. Meanwhile, UK-based charter operator Acropolis Aviation has just renewed its Wingman certification.

At the Wyvern website, visitors can watch a new video about the Wingman Standard. It features Wingman operator Meridian and was filmed at the company’s Teterboro Airport headquarters in New Jersey.

Here at the NBAA show on Wednesday, Wyvern is convening a safety panel as part of its Air Guard program with the AIG insurance group. Launched at the 2014 show, the program is a suite of safety services addressing the risks and challenges of business aircraft operations.

–C.A.

displays. According to Camelier, “When going to a pitch angle greater than 6.5 degrees, the system changes the sidestick-versusspoiler deflection curve.”

The Legacy 450/500 steep approach mode is modeled somewhat after that in Embraer’s EJets, but one difference is that the Legacy system estimates the mass of the airplane for spoiler deflection using flight mechanics formulas based on angle-ofattack and airspeed. “Depending on weight of the airplane, we have different initial spoiler deflections. With estimated mass, you remove pilot error from the scenario,” Camelier explained.

We headed back to the airport and flew two touch-and-goes at São José dos Campos before setting up for the steep approach.

The Honeywell engines spooled up quickly during the touchand-goes, and the Legacy 450 climbed promptly back into the air each time.

This time I set the autobrake control to medium, which would help us get stopped if we used more runway after the steep

approach. Camelier assured me that a normal touchdown is possible after the steep approach, and this turned out to be the case.

I set up the 450 at about 1,500 feet agl and closer to the runway this time, and Camelier switched on the steep approach mode. The autothrottles and spoilers helped manage the descent, and I used the fly-by-wire’s TCS trim button on the stick, which works in landing configuration, to set the airspeed right at Vref plus 10 for the steep approach. Staying on the 5.5-degree glidepath was just a matter of a few tiny moves of the stick, but the fly-by-wire system maintains the selected flight path, so a lot of stick movement is unnecessary.

I was getting better at avoiding too much flare before the touchdown in the Legacy, and as we passed through 50 feet the autothottles retarded, I pulled the nose gently to the horizon and the Legacy 450 touched down on the mains. The automation then lowered the nose and applied the brakes to slow us down with plenty of runway remaining. o

CARD SALES ON THE RISE FOR DELTA PRIVATE JETS Delta Private Jets (DPJ, Booth C13451) arrives at NBAA 2015 with strong growth in its jet card sales, charter revenue and fleet. Card sales are up 40 percent year-to-date over last year, while charter revenue climbed 58 percent. Meanwhile, the fleet of managed and charter aircraft has expanded from 53 at the beginning of this year to 70 now and is on track to reach 75 by year-end. Most of the added aircraft have been in the midsize and large-cabin categories, the latter including a GV and GIV-SP. “We continue to grow our fleet with the right aircraft strategically located, and with technology and amenities most requested by our customers,” said David Sneed, executive vice president and COO of the Cincinnati-based company. Helping fuel the growth are program innovations such as the Upgrade to Private Jet Travel Program introduced in July in conjunction with parent Delta Air Lines, and its current promotion offering jet cards in $25,000 and $50,000 denominations.

The company also recently named Kelly Love to the new position of vice president of corporate strategy and business development, charged with identifying opportunities to provide long-term value for customers. “Our goal is to increase our customer engagement and retention through a variety of meaningful experiences,” said Love.

–J.W.

www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 73

Not only does Honeywell’s Ovation Select cabin management system provide digital control of cabin systems, it also reduces weight by as much as 100 pounds on a Bombardier Global Express and significantly simplifies wiring.

Honeywell offers a phased upgrade to its digital cabin-control system

by Chad Trautvetter Honeywell (Booth C7807) is now offering a phased upgrade program for customers with its analog C-Series (CS) cabin management system to migrate to a digital cabin system. Dubbed Ovation Select CS, the upgrade path applies to the more than 1,600 operators with C-Seriesequipped aircraft and integrates new digital Ovation Select components in a “planned, scheduled and phased implementation.”

The flexible solution can be done incrementally in three phases and includes a variety of available cabin upgrades at an affordable cost, said William Rowell, Honeywell senior manager for business and general aviation cabin systems technical sales. It also allows those with C-Series systems to mitigate

obsolescence issues associated with the failure-prone MHT galley touchscreen user interface.

The first phase of the upgrade replaces the MHT with an 8.9inch Ovation Select Touchscreen (OST) and updates two C-Series analog control boxes with Ovation Select’s digital backbone–the digital utility interface (DUI) and cabin interface unit (CIU). The DUI facilitates user control functions while the cabin interface unit forms “the heart of the system,” said Rowell, since it is an Ethernet switch that acts as the audio/video distribution and command and control box, interconnecting all of the cabin equipment across the digital network.

Fly-away cost of the Phase 1 implementation ranges from $150,000 to $250,000, depending

on engineering and labor, Honeywell said. The upgrade also adds the capability for users to control audio/video and lighting with Apple iOS and Android devices running Ovation Select cabin control apps.

Phase 2 of the upgrade is more extensive, replacing analog cabin video and audio systems with HD 1080p monitors, BluRay disc players and Surround Sound systems, in addition to Ethernet-based cabling and digital audio/video ports. It also updates the moving map display to JetMap HD, including a database with 15-meter satellite imagery that provides much more terrain detail than the C-Series’s older JetMap I/II with 50-meter images. Because this phase is customized to both the airplane and

TRUENORTH DEMOS NEW ‘EXPERIENCE’ FOR OPTELITY PRO IFE BUYERS For a new twist on in-flight entertainment (IFE), the TrueNorth Avionics Optelity Experience app provides a curated package of IFE content for aircraft equipped with the Optelity Pro cabin communications platform. Demonstrations are available at the TrueNorth booth (C13639).

The Optelity Experience is powered by the UGO service platform, which was developed by Parisbased Display Interactive. The way the system works is by loading content at the FBO terminal or gate using the Optelity Pro Cabin Gateway system’s LTE (cellular) network. Content includes movies, short videos, corporate documents, moving-maps and magazines. In addition, Optelity Experience customers can customize the content and take advantage of the system’s concierge service, which includes “exclusive lifestyle experiences.” These allow users

to arrange unique experiences, such as a personal shopping tour or tennis lesson with a pro, according to TrueNorth. “Experiences vary by destination and they may only be offered once in a lifetime.”

“UGO was designed as an innovative solution for the in-flight entertainment market, based on our airline experience,” said Thierry Carmes, Display Interactive co-founder and strategy and development director. “It is all about customer engagement and service differentiation, with technical sophistication that belies how easy it is to use. Transforming the app to fit business jet users is a natural progression, and we have definitely found a cultural match with TrueNorth.”

“This app is about the passenger experience and designed to provide a bespoke entertainment solution,” said TrueNorth CEO Mark van Berkel.

–M.T.

74 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

customer, Honeywell is unable to provide a price range.

The third step completes the transformation to the full Ovation Select system, adding the PCU100 and/or PCU200 at-seat touchscreen passenger control units. Pricing is also unavailable for this phase since this is dependent on the airplane and seating configuration.

According to Honeywell, the conversion from C-Series to Ovation Select also reduces weight and wiring. A Bombardier Global Express that upgraded to the newer digital cabin system shed 100 pounds of weight, Rowell told AIN. The full Ovation Select system gives business jet passengers the ability to control in-flight entertainment, connectivity and cabin environmental conditions such as lighting, seats, temperature, galley and window shades via the at-seat touch-screen interface or from a mobile electronic device. In fact, Honeywell is now in the final stages of developing

an Apple Watch app, expected to be released next month, which can control cabin systems.

Meanwhile, Ovation Select is “4K/Ultra HD ready,” though Rowell said that the electronics industry has yet to coalesce around a media content standard for this next-generation video format, which provides four times the resolution of 1080p. “Right now they’re going through what amounts to the VHS-Betamax fight again,” he noted. “Because of this, we don’t expect 4K to be ready for the aerospace market until sometime in 2017, even though 4K monitors currently exist.”

To date, more than 100 Ovation Select systems are now in service, and this number is expected to rapidly increase over the coming years since the cabin manager is standard equipment aboard the new Embraer Legacy 450 and 500 midsize jets.

The all-digital cabin system can also be retrofitted to any business aircraft, Honeywell said. o

PRISM SHOWCASES NEW IPHONE SMS APP Professional Resources in System Management (Prism) is showcasing here at the NBAA show its Safety Management System (SMS) iPhone app, introduced last month. The Prism app allows users to submit flight and ground risk analysis and hazard/incident reports directly from their iPhones, and can be used in both online and offline modes.

The app can also create new Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) reports and access stored pending reports for final submission; document risks and mitigations; and automatically email safety/hazard report notifications.

“It’s important for aviation operators to track and analyze their risks so they can improve their safety performance,” said Steve Witowski, v-p of Prism Business Aviation Services. “The release of the Prism iPhone app is just one of the many resources Prism offers to help employees communicate hazards and promote a healthy and active safety culture.”

Added Chris Young, vice president of Prism Helicopter Services, “We live in a mobile world, and to remain efficient our customers need to be able to access their SMS tools whenever they need to, wherever they are.”

The Prism app is available free from the iTunes store. NBAA attendees can view the app at the Argus International booth (N4910). Prism, a wholly owned subsidiary of Argus, provides SMS solutions, and is an FAA recognized certification consultant.

–J.W.

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JetConnex in-flight broadband is getting close to service entry

by Charles Alcock The new Inmarsat-5 satellite constellation is set to deliver unprecedented inflight connectivity rates of up to 50 Mbps when it enters service for the aviation market in the first quarter of 2016. The JetConnex service designated specifically for business

aircraft users is being marketed by various service providers, including Satcom Direct, Gogo, Arinc Direct and Satcom 1.

“This will bring true broadband service to the sky,” said Inmarsat business aviation vice president Kurt Weidemeyer,

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explaining that the service will be offered in subscription-based packages priced by the individual providers. “As an end user you can decide what you want to use.

You could sign up for a specific package that would provide 10 Mbps [connection speeds], just as you do on the ground.”

The various service providers are seeking to differentiate themselves with special offerings. “They bring a lot of added value,” Weidemeyer told AIN. “For instance, Satcom 1offers a solution for watching TV, Arinc Direct brings flight planning and weather data, while Satcom Direct has voice over IP that works very well with passengers’ own smartphones.”

JetConnex is being officially launched at NBAA 2015 this week. “We are the only provider guaranteeing this level of

service,” claimed Weidemeyer. “Every month you will get the exact level of service you are paying for because this is our core business; we don’t provide service to support [terrestrial] satellite TV.” Also in development is the new European Aviation Network, for which Inmarsat (Booth C8016) is partnering with Deutsche Telekom to produce a combined network using both satellites and LTE ground stations as an alternate way to deliver highspeed broadband. Somewhat similar to the Gogo network in the U.S., it is intended as a lower-cost solution that will be better suited to smaller aircraft that cannot carry the larger antenna required for JetConnex.

It is due to go operational in the third quarter of 2017 and eventually should provide connection rates up to 70 Mbps. o

Extant agrees to support Avidyne FlightMax displays

by Charles Alcock Extant Aerospace announced a new licensing agreement with Avidyne through which it will provide continuing support of the avionics manufacturer’s FlightMax EX5000-series multifunction displays (MFDs). The Melbourne, Fla.-based company will provide exclusive aftermarket repair and exchange support for the displays, as well as manufacturing their circuit cards and subassemblies.

According to Extant CEO Jim Gerwien, the new contract is evidence of its growing involvement in electronics obsolescence support. “It’s reached the point where we are part of the strategic planning process for OEMs considering how they can continue to support products,” he told AIN. “We’re now even supporting second, third or even fourth product families for them.”

The strategic shift in emphasis towards electronics obsolescence management has shifted Extant’s business plan away from a dependence on military products. To emphasize its broadened range of activities, which used to be largely confined

to component support, the company has rebranded itself as Extant Aerospace and has expanded its engineering facilities.

It now works on increasingly sophisticated equipment, including radio frequency products.

Under an agreement with Extant announced this week at NBAA 2015, Avidyne (Booth C11540) will continue to field initial service calls from EX5000/C authorized dealers, service centers and operators needing help troubleshooting products or with new or existing AeroPlan warranty agreements. However, the OEM will refer these customers and support organizations to Extant for practical assistance.

The EX5000 MFDs entered the market in 2003, and more than 5,000 units have since been delivered for a variety of business and general aviation aircraft. The displays were designed to present navigation, radar, datalink weather, lightning, traffic and terrain data in a large-screen format that interfaces with multiple systems and sensors. o

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76 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Air BP announced a new agreement on Monday with Signature Flight Support that will see the petroleum company’s Sterling Card accepted at all 63 of Signature’s U.S. FBOs. This represents a milestone for Air BP, which has kept a low profile in North America following the end of its joint venture business with Epic, in that this is the first time the Sterling Card will be accepted in the U.S. While Air BP (Booth C10835) has not had any branded U.S. locations since 2012, it remained a major bulk fuel supplier for Signature, as well as numerous corporate flight departments with their own fueling facilities. Outside the U.S., however, the company operates an extensive global fuel network. “We currently do have a portfolio of some American customers that hold our Sterling Card, who, when they fly

internationally use this card to obtain fuel at any of our Air BP locations abroad,” said Julio Casas, the recently-named director of Air BP’s North American general aviation business.

Another development will enable customers to use the Sterling Card for FBO services such as ramp fees, lavatory and water service, de-icing and merchandise, in addition to fuel at Signature’s U.S. locations. “With this new agreement in place, Sterling Card customers can be confident that they will receive the very best in terms of fuel provision and FBO services in the world’s largest general aviation market,” Casas told AIN, adding the program will go live early next year.

“We are pleased to partner with Air BP to expand our portfolio through the Sterling Card at all of our U.S. locations,” noted Signature president and COO Maria Sastre.

–C.E.

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EASy II suite. She has developed service guides for the Falcons on the mandates.

The four experts will be available from 1-3 p.m. Tuesday; 9-11 a.m. Wednesday; and 9-11 a.m. Thursday.

In other news from the Lincoln, Neb.based company, during the week of October 12 Duncan moved its Teterboro facility into larger quarters within the Landmark FBO on the bustling New Jersey business aviation field. The facility now occupies 1,300 sq ft and is looking to hire two additional technicians to work the second shift. “As the busiest corporate airport in the United States, Teterboro serves a number of transient customers–dropin customers from outside the U.S. whose schedules often have them arriving early in the morning or late at night,” said the company. “Regardless of when they arrive or who the customers are, they often need avionics support, and staffing a second shift will help the Duncan Aviation Teterboro facility better meet all customers’ needs.”

Egypt Air Force Maintenance

Putting its business aircraft expertise to work beyond the traditional arena, Duncan also announced it has signed a five-year contract to maintain the Egyptian Air Force’s Falcon 20s, on which it has been locally managing maintenance and repairs since 1999.

Duncan Aviation’s manager of government and special programs, Dave Shipperbottom, said that in choosing to fly over nearby maintenance companies and bring its aircraft to Duncan Aviation, the Egyptian Air Force “reveals a lot about our relationship with them. All the technicians at the squadron level are great to work with. They know us and we know them.” The first Egyptian Falcon arrived at Duncan’s Lincoln facility on October 20 for a Z-check. The next will arrive this month for a C-check, major corrosion inspection and complete paint. o

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With the NextGen equipage deadline pointing both barrels at business aviation, Duncan Aviation (Booth N4910) has deployed four of its experts here at the convention to answer questions operators might have about what they need to do to keep their aircraft flying beyond midnight on Dec. 31, 2019.

Through the free seminars it has been presenting this year, Duncan has seen first-hand what operators do and don’t know about equipping their aircraft for ADS-B out and FANS 1/A. The four experts on hand here in Vegas: Chris Christianson, an avionics tech rep who has been with Duncan for 16 years, “has nose-to-tail knowledge of every avionics system installed and retrofitted for today’s business jets from the analog systems of the Cessna 550 to the large, digital and fully integrated systems of the Falcon 7X, the G450/550 and Global Express.

His experience has involved every facet of avionics installation projects from STC development to standard field approval type installations/modifications with deep levels of integration.”

Mark Francetic, avionics regional sales manager, has been educating operators about NextGen initiatives for two years at more than 20 different venues, is a member of the Honeywell and BendixKing dealer advisory boards and has helped Duncan Aviation develop business plans for approved model list STCs on ADS-B and FANS 1/A retrofit systems on multiple aircraft.

Dennis Kruse has spent eight years installing various avionics systems for Duncan and also worked as an avionics technician in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Melissa Raddatz has three years of experience installing multiple avionics systems and has received formal training on the Falcon 50/50EX and Challenger 300, and on troubleshooting and line maintenance for Dassault’s Primus Epic-based

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Signature Flight Support’s newly built FBO at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley took the first steps toward full operation with the announcement that it conducted the first fueling of a tenant aircraft in early October.

Signature Flight Support ( Booth N3505) has been accepting office and hangar tenants at the facility, which occupies 29 acres of real estate at SJC. Full FBO services began earlier this month, when the facility opened its doors to transient traffic.

With a price tag of $82 million, the location was developed in cooperation with Blue City Holdings, the private aviation arm of Google’s founders and one of the anchor tenants. The FBO, which was built to LEED environmental specifications, offers a 10,000-sq-ft terminal along with a 7,500-sq-ft “technology garden” that highlights the advances achieved by companies in the area.

Its 240,000 sq ft of hangar space can accommodate ultra-long-range business jets, and the apron can handle bizliners up to a Boeing 767, with –C.E. direct passenger ramp-side access.

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Embraer ramps up for midsize production

by Chad Trautvetter The expansion of Embraer Executive Jets’s assembly facility in Melbourne, Fla., to

accommodate Legacy 450 and 500 production, in addition to the existing Phenom 100 and Plant expansion in Melbourne, Fla., will accommodate Legacy 450 and 500 production, in addition to the existing Phenom 100 and 300 lines.

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300 lines, is well under way and on pace to be completed in the spring, according to facility managing director Phil Krull.

The new assembly line flow, which will be 90 degrees from the current one for the Phenoms, will start in May, he said.

The Legacy line will be added in parallel to this new Phenom flow, with the first U.S.-assembled Legacy 450 entering the initial build station there in June. Production of the new Embraer midsize jets will start out slowly, with just six Legacy 450/500s coming off the Melbourne line in 2017, said Krull. However, he said output will eventually be ramped up to 72 of these jets per year with just two shifts, five days a week; a third and/or weekend shifts could be added to increase this further, if needed.

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Also in June, all Phenom production will transition to the Melbourne facility, according to Krull. Phenoms are currently assembled at both Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos and in Melbourne, but plant capacity at the Brazilian location is needed for assembly of the company’s new E2 airliners. The Melbourne facility has the capacity to assemble eight Phenoms per month (96 per year) under the current twoshift, weekday-only schedule, though more shifts could also be added to increase this, he said.

Approximately 350 employees work at the Melbourne assembly facility, but with the addition of the Legacy midsize jet line Krull expects to hire another 600 workers there over the next five years. o

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A super-midsize Legacy 650 sits in front of the company’s Mesa, Ariz. service center. Embraer Executive Jets built up a network of 65 authorized service centers–26 of which are in the U.S.–and six company-owned facilities, half of them in the U.S., to keep a fleet that is approaching 1,000 aircraft flying.

Embraer Executive Jets celebrates 10th anniversary

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Embraer Executive Jets is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week at NBAA 2015. Though parent Embraer launched the Legacy–a business jet derivative of the ERJ-135 airliner since renamed the Legacy 600–in 2000 at the Farnborough International airshow, the company didn’t officially form an executive jet business unit until May 2005.

Luís Carlos Affonso was initially tapped to head the Melbourne, Fla.-based division, supported by vice president of executive aviation marketing and sales for North America Ernest Edwards and vice president of market intelligence Marco Túlio Pellegrini, among others.

Edwards later took the helm of the unit from Affonso in 2011, with Pellegrini succeeding him early last year when Edwards retired.

The Phenom 100 and 300 light jets were also launched simultaneously with the Embraer Executive Jets division.

Since then Embraer Executive Jets has launched five more new models: the large-cabin Lineage 1000 (2006), midsize Legacy 450 and 500 (2008), supermidsize Legacy 650 (2009) and Phenom 100E (2014).

All of these aircraft, in addition to the original Phenom light jets, have entered service, starting with the Phenom 100 in late 2008. The Legacy 450 is the most

recent to join this group, after obtaining Brazil ANAC, FAA and EASA certifications in the third quarter of this year.

When the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer established the executive jets division, its goal was to “be a major player” in the business jet market. Edwards soon quantified that goal, telling AIN in April 2006 that Embraer Executive Jets sought 15 percent of the business jet market by volume within a decade.

Today it has exceeded that goal, with the Embraer division garnering 18 percent of the business jet market by volume. Taking a more micro look, the company commanded 57 percent of the light jet market by shipments last year and appears set to do the same this year.

Going even deeper, the Phenom 300 was the most delivered business jet in the world over the past two years and is on pace for a repeat this year, according to Embraer.

To date, Embraer Executive Jets has handed over about 650 light jets to customers since the Phenom 100 and 300 entered service in December 2008 and 2009, respectively. In fact, Embraer Executive Jets delivered the 300th Phenom 300 last month to an undisclosed U.S. customer, just one year after achieving the same milestone for the smaller Phenom 100/100E.

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Embraer handed over the 300th Phenom 300 last month to an undisclosed U.S. customer, just one year after achieving the same milestone for the smaller Phenom 100/100E. The commemorative Phenom 300 was assembled at and delivered from Embraer’s assembly facility in Melbourne, Fla. BE-NBAA15-Dailies.indd 2

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The company’s Legacy 600/650 has also sold well, with about 250 of the supermidsize jets in service around the world.

However, its $53 million, large-cabin Legacy 1000/1000E has had only modest success, with some 25 delivered since 2009.

Overall, Pellegrini said he is happy with Embraer’s market share. To date, the company has delivered more than 900 business jets to about 580 operators in some 60 countries. “We’ve accomplished so much in so little time,” he added. “I’m very proud of what Embraer Executive Jets has done.”

This push to redefine business jet categories and bring the latest technology to its new aircraft is what could make the midsize Legacys–which have bestin-class cabin sizes, fly-by-wire controls, Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics and optional head-up display, among other features–even better sellers than the Phenoms. “The 450 and 500 are creating a market that didn’t exist before,” Pellegrini told AIN. “We’re very optimistic about the market for these two Marco Túlio Pellegrini, who has been with Embraer twinjets, which have very flexible cabin Executive Jets since it was formed in 2005 and today layouts.” Deliveries are now starting to is president of the division, shows off the recently ramp up for two new jets. Daily News_half page_2015.pdf certified Legacy 450 midsize jet.

Sierrathese Completions_AIN Show_NBAA 1 10/9/2015 10:07:28 AM

CHAD TRAUTVETTER

Satisfied with Market Share

But just gaining market share wasn’t the company’s only goal and almost could be considered secondary. “We want to provide the best customer experience,” Pellegrini said. “More important is serving the customer, matching exceptional products with exceptional product support.”

To keep a fleet quickly approaching 1,000 aircraft flying, Embraer Executive Jets built a network of 65 authorized service centers–26 in the U.S.–and six company-owned facilities, half of them in the U.S. Notably, its Paris Le Bourget service center is moving into a new building that will be easier for customers to access and double the size of the existing facility.

This new building will open in the second half of next year.

In addition, the company has spare parts hubs in Brazil and the U.S., four regional parts distribution centers (Brussels, China, Singapore and Dubai) and six parts storage locations around the world. It also maintains a cadre of 42 field representatives around the world and mobile service centers at the company-owned centers in the U.S. and Paris.

Marking the fifth anniversary of its customer support contact center, Embraer Executive Jets recently opened a new contact center to improve integration of support personnel technical teams and to offer more comprehensive aroundthe-clock support.

CHAD TRAUTVETTER

The commemorative Phenom 300 was assembled at and delivered from Embraer’s assembly facility in Melbourne, which has been in operation since 2011.

In June last year, the company delivered the 500th Phenom–also a Model 300– and plans to hand over the 150th U.S.assembled Phenom by year-end.

“The 300th delivery confirms the outstanding worldwide reception the Phenom 300 has received and is an eloquent testament to the aircraft, which has redefined the light jet segment,” Pellegrini said. “Embraer’s drive for customer satisfaction and the cutting-edge design and performance of its products continues to draw new operators and enhance customer loyalty.”

Phenom 100 launch customers Jim and Betsy Frost took delivery of N82DU in December 2008. Their tail number and exterior paint colors have special meaning–they met while attending Duke University and graduated in 1982. Both rated in the Phenom 100, the pair later flew their light jet around the world.

The company’s Aircraft Health Analysis and Diagnosis (AHEAD) system has been expanded to cover the latest models: the Legacy 450 and 500.

Meanwhile, Embraer’s customer support and services guide mobile app, first released for iOS devices, is now available on Android devices and allows operators to open a case with the contact center.

Because of its investment in product support, Embraer Executive Jets tied for second place in the 2015 AIN Product Support Survey. o

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CBP top exec working with NBAA U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commissioner Gil Kerlikowske is stepping up his agency’s collaboration with the business aviation community. Kerlikowske recently met with NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen to discuss areas where his agency can work together with the business aviation community, including the formation of a working group to delve into various business and general aviation issues. Kerlikowske addressed those issues here yesterday as a scheduled speaker at the Opening General Session.

His address not only continues a long tradition of CBP’s participation in the convention, he said, but builds on relationships that the commissioner has been exploring with the association since taking the role as commissioner last year. “Commissioner Kerlikowske has always taken a productive, collaborative approach to industry concerns in the CBP’s work with NBAA,” Bolen said.

Kerlikowske moved over to CBP in March 2014 after directing

the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy from 2009 to 2014. He brought a law enforcement background to his role, previously serving as chief of police for Seattle, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and police commissioner of Buffalo, N.Y. But soon after stepping into his new role at CBP, Kerlikowske immediately turned to general aviation issues. Within the first month, he met with Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association president Mark Baker to discuss the association’s concerns over the agency’s then-growing practice of intercepting general aviation aircraft for searches. Kerlikowske promised to undertake a thorough review of the practice and to be more judicious in the use of the intercept policy.

His move to create a working group focused on business and general aviation issues also has been welcomed by industry advocates. Doug Carr, vice

DAHER TAPS EXEC AERO FOR CENTRAL FLORIDA TBM SERVICE Daher (Booth C13307) recently appointed Orlando-based Exec Aero as its TBM service center for Central Florida. Exec Aero was created by a group of ex-employees of cargo/courier company Flight Express–one of the largest Part 135 carriers in the U.S., according to Daher.

Exec Aero general manager Nathan Marler dates the company’s relationship with Daher back to 2012. “We had a good look at the aircraft,” he said, “and decided it was definitely something different.

We’ve carried forward our passion and pride for the TBM and are now pleased to offer more support as a TBM service center.”

While its reputation for high levels of expertise and customer service led to Exec Aero’s appointment, Daher v-p of customer support for the Americas Charles Holomek also noted that the shop’s location is a positive attribute, as well. He said, “[Exec Aero’s] base at Orlando Executive Airport is close to the SimCom training center, which is our partner for TBM training. This creates the possibility for pilot-owners to service their aircraft while they attend training courses.” Being at the nerve center of one of the world’s premier vacation theme park areas is another plus, said Marler. “Our close proximity to Daher’s U.S. headquarters at Pompano Beach Airpark allows us to work closely with the company on all aspects of factory support and service to TBM owners.

–M.P.

TBM owners and operators have a new factory authorized service center in Central Florida. Orlando-based Exec Aero was recently named an official maintenance provider.

president of regulatory and international affairs for NBAA, said the group will likely be similar to advisory groups CBP created for air transport and cargo.

To begin meeting later this year, the group will provide a venue to raise the visibility about concerns specific to business and general aviation, Carr said. From a business aviation standpoint, a number of Customs issues have centered on processes that were established for airline operations, but are not as appropriate for business aviation. The group will provide an opportunity to educate and heighten awareness about the unique requirements of business aviation, Carr said.

Simplifying Procedures

As important, he added, the effort would enable the industry to work more collaboratively with CBP. Bolen said that during his meeting with Kerlikowske, they “also identified further opportunities for collaboration, with a goal of simplifying business aviation procedures while maintaining an equivalent level of safety and security.”

CBP has worked with the business aviation community on several issues in recent years, such as improving the processes for the Southern Border Overflight Exemption and pre-clearance restrictions in Shannon, Ireland.

Matt Thurber

by Kerry Lynch

Negotiating entry to the U.S. through Customs and Border Protection is one area where business aviation needs to provide a better experience for its passengers.

Above, the new Van Nuys CBP facility at the airport’s Signature Flight Support FBO.

More recently, CBP teamed with the industry to re-establish a presence at Van Nuys, Calif., after nearly a decade’s absence, and to open facilities in Columbus, Ohio, and Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Executive Airport.

But Carr noted several issues remain regarding entry into the U.S., from availability at locations and hours at CBP facilities to Global Entry requirements that funnel bizav passengers into the commercial terminals.

The new working group is expected to focus on expediting business and general aviation arrivals into the U.S., NBAA said, adding it is pushing for improved facilitation of N-registered aircraft returning to the U.S. and streamlined processing for international arrivals.

The business aviation community is continuing to work with CBP to establish bases at new locations or to return to former locations, Carr noted.

He pointed to Van Nuys, noting it is “huge” for general aviation

JORMAC CELEBRATES 20 YEARS’ SERVICE TO AIRCRAFT MOD INDUSTRY Jormac Aerospace, the Largo, Fla. division of New Hampshirebased Advent Aerospace (Booth N3717), is celebrating 20 years’ providing components and services to the aircraft-modification industry.

Started in 1995 as a two-man team of Steve Jourdenais and Mike McAllister (thus “Jormac”), the company’s first significant project was performing stress analysis on Boeing 727 cargo conversions. The two men would work at home, meeting at a gas station midway between their houses to exchange paperwork. With the arrival of the Boeing Business Jet, Jormac ramped up its offerings. It was hired by Chrysler Technologies Airborne Systems (CTAS) to perform stress analysis on BBJ projects. In conjunction with CTAS, Jormac advanced to developing and producing the components it had analyzed, including headliners for 58 of the 96 BBJs it worked on.

Jourdenais is now president of Advent, which in its earlier incarnation as aviation-specialty investment firm Yankee Pacific Aerospace in 2006, had acquired Jormac. Jormac now employs close to 100 engineers and technicians, designing and building non-structural interior components for VIP and VVIP aircraft. Those components include cabin headliners; bin systems; floor support structures; seat tracks and components; cabinet installation hardware; galley and vanity countertops; onboard showers; panel latches; and ECS hardware.

“The synergies we’ve established between Jormac and our other division, Cabin Innovations, are allowing us to offer the highest quality and commitment in this competitive marketplace,” Jourdenais said, adding that Jormac looks forward to the next 20 years.

–M.P.

84 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

in that area. But CBP formerly was available at several of the airports in the region frequented by business aviation and pulled out about a decade ago.

To attract a CBP presence, FBOs have been investing in and building the facilities to CBP standards. But Carr said that the requirements for Customs facilities are designed for processing passengers arriving at airline terminals rather than business aviation terminals, standards that create a challenge for the FBOs. In addition, attracting such a presence requires CBP resources, which means investment on the government’s end.

Carr acknowledged that this can be an obstacle. But he also noted that Customs is one of the government’s top revenue raisers.

Negotiations are under way at several more locations, Carr said, noting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of the U.S. are among general areas where business aviation communities seek greater access to CBP services.

Beyond securing new CBP facilities, NBAA also is hoping for improved accessibility at existing facilities. Some have limited hours, which make nighttime arrivals difficult. NBAA believes one way to take the pressure off U.S. arrivals is to expand the CBP presence at foreign preclearance facilities before U.S. operators return home.

Global Entry is another program that Carr said could be tailored better for business aviation use. A number of locations do not have access to Global Entry or must channel through the commercial terminals. “General aviation gets introduced into an airline system that really isn’t designed to do what business aviation needs it to do,” Carr said.

That concern is thematic with a number of CBP programs, including the eApis, or electronic advance passenger information system. Carr noted the business aviation community has a high rate of compliance, but the format is still designed for airline use. o

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Pats reinvents itself as Aloft AeroArchitects

by Charles Alcock Aircraft modification and completion specialist Pats Aircraft Systems is rebranding

itself under the new name Aloft AeroArchitects. What makes the change more noteworthy is

that the Delaware-based company is making the transformation right in the middle of this week’s NBAA show.

Right after the Las Vegas Convention Center closed last night, the Pats-branded exhibit (Booth C7037) was removed and replaced by the Aloft branding that will greet visitors today. The new name

was announced to the company’s own employees only last week and will be explained more fully at a press conference here this morning.

“The name Pats is very heavily tied to our work with fuel tank systems, which we have done for almost 40 years,” explained sales and marketing vice president John Eichten.

“We’re not changing what we do, but there are quite a few elements of our business that are just not well known in the VIP [aircraft] sector, such as engineering services for STCs [supplemental type certificates]. At our deepest core we are an engineering company.”

To date, Aloft AeroArchitects has completed 26 VIP interiors (20 of which were Boeing aircraft). It currently has three completions projects under way, two involving BBJ2s and the other a BBJ. Additional Projects Under Way

It also is active in developing STCs for avionics upgrades covering mandates such as ADS-B and FANS, as well as leveraging its FAA organization designation authority (ODA) status to help customers fasttrack STC approvals. In this year’s third quarter, the company had some 38 ODA projects in the works at the same time. The group also includes its Hollingshead International avionics tray specialist.

Meanwhile, Aloft AeroArchitects continues to offer its extensive range of auxiliary fuel tanks for a variety of aircraft, including the Boeing 737NG and 757, as well as for Bombardier’s CRJ200. It is also working with several prospective partners in Europe and Asia to offer the range-increasing modification for other aircraft.

Boeing recently appointed the company as the official auxiliary fuel tank supplier for the new 737 Max jets.

The rebranding of Pats comes just over a year after the company was acquired by Moelis Capital Partners in June 2014.

“The term AeroArchitects, we believe, is a nuance in our industry that allows us to creatively and accurately convey exactly what we are all about,” said the company. “Each of our greater than 300 staff are experts at what they do and, collectively, creating the vision to advance our industry. We ask our employees to constantly reconsider the process and to seek a better way, to be an architect of the process, design, installation or any role they play in the success of the company.” o

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86 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

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Embraer engineering center rapid prototypes new interiors

by Chad Trautvetter

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Embraer’s 75,000-sq-ft Engineering & Technology Center in Melbourne, Fla., which opened in September last year and is the first such facility for the company outside of Brazil, is now in full swing. The facility conducts engineering and development activities for both products and technology across Embraer’s business lines–airliners, executive aviation, defense and aerospace–though for the time being is focused on designing and building rapid prototype interiors for its executive jets and airliners. It is also building competence in cabin electronics systems, including obtaining STCs for optional equipment.

The center houses a laboratory for the development and testing of materials and interior components, including 3-D computer-aided design, computational fluid dynamics, finite element modeling, 3-D virtual reality center, prototype capabilities and sophisticated laboratories and test equipment.

Some 100 engineers are already working at the Melbourne facility, which is across the street from Embraer’s Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 final assembly facility and the Embraer Executive Jets Customer Center.

Employment at the center is scheduled to double by the end of next year. Most of the employees are engineers, some highly experienced and others fresh out of college.

Embraer Executive Jets vice president of interior design Jay Beever is based at the center, and he and his design team are keeping the engineering staff quite busy. During AIN’s recent visit to the Melbourne center, the interiors prototyping staff were working on several modifications to Phenom and Legacy interiors, some of which could be announced this week at NBAA 2015, as well as bringing design concepts for the company’s new E2 regional jets to life. The latter included a full-scale mockup with a two-class airline passenger seating configuration. o

Guardian Mobility provides real-time locational awareness

by James Careless

See us at Booth C13302

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Knowing an aircraft’s location at any given moment is essential, and operators flying aircraft equipped with flight following and flight data monitoring equipment can easily track flights with Guardian Mobility’s SilverEye mobile app.

Designed to run on smartphones, tablets and laptops, SilverEye Aviation provides an “Aircraft Status at a Glance” visual update. The display background can be set to show new standard maps and overlays, which can include flight charts, TFRs and weather information such as Metars and TAFs. Against such backgrounds, SilverEye Aviation monitors and displays the aircraft’s real-time location, altitude, landed status and more. The maps come pre-configured with points of interest and are optimized to work on any smartphone or tablet. SilverEye Aviation also supports two-way text messaging

within the application, so that users can communicate as they track their progress.

According to Guardian Mobility (Booth C13840), SilverEye Aviation can be custom-configured to suit each user’s individual needs. It can also generate custom reports and send them to other analytic systems, and create customized alerts that can be shared with other SilverEye Aviation users or anyone else via email or text message.

“SilverEye Aviation is only our latest development and is a powerful tool that enhances the user experience of our customers working with automated flight following and flight data monitoring solutions,” said Guardian Mobility COO Stephane Momy. “Our strategy is to continue to develop products and services that fully support aircraft business intelligence for the aviation market.” o

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88 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

STEVENS MOVING MRO TO DONALDSON FIELD Following the recent decision by the Greenville-Spartanburg (S.C.) International Airport (GSP) Commission to take over control of the lone FBO on the field when incumbent operator Stevens Aviation’s lease expires at the end of next year, the aviation services provider announced that it plans to move its MRO business from GSP as well. That would signal an end to its presence at the airport where the company has been for more than five decades.

Stevens (Booth N1321) will consolidate its turboprop MRO facility at GSP with its main aircraft maintenance location at Donaldson Field Airport, which previously specialized only in business jets. In addition, Stevens plans to expand its refurbishment and paint capabilities at Donaldson to allow greater capacity and serve larger aircraft. Longer term, the company intends to add another location. (It already has facilities at Dayton, Ohio, and Nashville, Tenn.)

–C.E.

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Visit us at NBAA booth N2704.

Collins bestows Tier One status on Embry-Riddle

by Harry Weisberger Embry-Riddle and Rockwell Collins (Booth C9232) explained that the benefits of the Tier One designation include closer connections between the two organizations

PHOTOS: MATT THURBER

Rockwell Collins has elevated EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University (Booth 3713) to Tier One status, further cementing a relationship established 25 years ago.

in applied research and hiring opportunities for Embry-Riddle students and graduates. During the past five years, Rockwell Collins has hired 48 Embry-Riddle graduates, including 33 women and minorities. And nearly 400 Embry-Riddle alumni currently work for the avionics manufacturer, about half of them at the company’s Cedar Rapids, Iowa, headquarters.

The Tier One status has much to do with the number of Embry-Riddle graduates employed by Rockwell Collins as

Over the past quarter century, graduates of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University have found careers at Rockwell Collins. Close to 400 work there with 48 hired in the past five years.

SAFETY FOUNDATION STUDIES DATA COLLECTION, URGES DATA SHARING

FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION

Business aviation is contributing to an unprecedented effort by importance for data-sharing within the business aviation community.

Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) to understand how operators colWe do have some opportunities to aggregate,” said Stein, a corpolect and process safety information. The foundation considers the rate pilot whose own company participates in a flight-data analysis Global Safety Information Project (GSIP), which is funded through service offered by Austin Digital. a cooperative agreement with the FAA, a first step toward A decade ago, FSF helped introduce the business avideveloping a global standard for aviation data collecation community to the voluntary Flight Operational tion and analysis.

Quality Assurance (FOQA) program, which uses flight Earlier this year, the foundation (Booth C13205) recorded data to improve aviation safety. More recently, held focus groups in the Asia-Pacific and North and it has encouraged greater participation by business aviSouth America regions, the two regions chosen for ation in the semi-official Aviation Safety Information the project. It plans to conduct workshops in the same Analysis & Sharing (ASIAS) program, a data-sharing locations next spring to develop actual toolkits and effort involving the FAA and industry partners. There are products based on the information gathered. presently 17 business aviation operators participating in “Business aviation has been participating in the ASIAS, along with 45 airlines. focus groups,” said Peter Stein, chairman of the “We’re encouraging business aviation operators FSF Business Advisory Committee. “Similar who already have the ability to do the digital downto the air carriers, we see data-sharing as an loads to also take a long hard look at becoming essential and vital tool to driving business avia participant in the ASIAS program,” said Stein. ation to better and better levels of safety.”

“There’s a huge benefit in that we can not only Aircraft operators can now take a more see our business aviation aggregate data, but proactive approach to risk mitigation Peter Stein, chairman of the Flight Safety we’re also able to see airline data.”

Foundation Business Advisory Committee. through traditional safety reports and techWhile sharing data benefits safety analysis by nology, including quick access recorders that measure and store contributing to a greater pool of operational information, the risk hundreds of flight parameters for easy download and analysis. of legal liability may prevent some operators from participating.

The GSIP is not collecting data “per se,” Stein explained. “We Protecting operators from legal proceedings is a focus of the GSIP want to know what you’re doing with your data,” he said. “It’s not project, Stein said. a data collection program, it’s how you manage it all and [identi“What we’re talking about when we talk about safety informafying] the potentials for data sharing.” tion protection is the availability of all of this data to be used in More so than Part 121 air carriers, business aviation is challenged a civil and potentially criminal proceeding, a civil lawsuit for damin reaping the benefits of data sharing and analysis because corpoages,” he explained. “There’s essentially little or no protection rate flight departments do not generate nearly as much data as airaround the world. This is another finding that came out of these lines that fly thousands of flights each day. “I think it underscores the focus groups.”

–B.C.

90 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

well as with their excellent performance and value to their employer. According to Rockwell Collins, the new Tier One designation involves increases in highlevel funding, joint research projects, campus visits from Rockwell Collins teams, cooperative internship opportunities for current students and full-time hiring of Embry-Riddle graduates.

“We look at many factors as part of this designation, including the number of students who graduate in core disciplines, the diversified student body and the number of students we hire, as well as retention and quality,” said Martha May, Rockwell Collins senior vice president of human resources. “We’re eager to see what this new partnership brings to both organizations.”

Embry-Riddle graduates who have signed on with Rockwell Collins during the past five years hold 362 degrees in disciplines critical to the company, including software and systems engineering. Other areas where Rockwell Collins needs expertise include computer and electrical engineering, cyber security, flight planning, human factors, management and meteorology.

“Over the course of more than 25 years Rockwell Collins and Embry-Riddle have had a proud and productive history together,” said Dr. Richard Heist, EmbryRiddle’s senior vice president for academic affairs and research. “Through the years, we have seen substantial contributions from them supporting various engineering projects, programs and student-led organizations tied to research, diversity and securing a pipeline of talent they can be proud of. As a Tier One university, we will grant Rockwell Collins enhanced access to our state-of-the-art facilities, talented faculty and dedicated students. We look forward to partnering on initiatives and applied research solutions for the aerospace and aviation industries.”

Rockwell Collins officials took part in the annual Industry/Career Expo at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus and will return there in January for Rockwell’s annual spring visit.

An event in April hosted by Rockwell Collins will celebrate the university’s Tier One status. o

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All told, Gulfstream’s overall footprint at its Savannah, Georgia home base covers some 3.2 million square feet.

Gulfstream’s growing family spurs expansion

by Kerry Lynch When Gulfstream opened its two G500/600 production plants, the company had unveiled its most advanced facilities yet. The factories, built adjacent to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, were part of an ongoing investment program that is now nearing $1 billion and has spanned more than a decade.

This investment has transformed the Savannah site into one that executives once looked at as an airport with a factory on it into a factory with an accompanying airport.

Production of the upcoming G500 model is already well under way at Gulfstream’s new-build complex adjacent to Savannah/Hilton Head Airport.

The transformation has occurred as Gulfstream grew from a one-aircraft company to what will become a lineup of as many as seven. Of those, five are being built at its headquarters in Savannah.

To accommodate this growth, the company has turned to new approaches, new technologies and new manufacturing techniques. “Gulfstream’s manufacturing processes and efficiencies…have resulted in a significant increase in aircraft deliveries,” said Greg Collett, Gulfstream vice president, production and completion operations. “In 2004, Gulfstream delivered 77 completed aircraft. In 2014, that number jumped to 150.”

The original 260,000-sq-ft manufacturing facility opened in 1967, initially to produce the GII. Production eventually transferred to the GIII. By 1982 the GIV had supplanted all its predecessors.

Except for a short time when GIIB and GIII jets were simultaneously produced, the facility had primarily been used for

production of one aircraft type and at much lower volumes. GIV deliveries were averaging only about two dozen a year by the time Gulfstream introduced the GV in 1995. While the space didn’t change, the facility went from producing only the GIV to a two-aircraft production plant with the addition of the GV. By the mid2000s, Gulfstream’s deliveries of its largecabin GIVs and GVs had nearly tripled.

The plant continues to produce the follow-on G450 and G550. With continued solid sales, the facility uses all available space to keep both aircraft lines flowing. To do that, Collett said, “We have implemented lean processes and introduced new tools, including an auto riveter in 1999/2000, to increase the efficiency and quality.”

He cites as an example the “kitting” and labeling of all the pieces and parts for a particular aircraft and use of a vending machine with high-use tools (such as drill bits) in a high-traffic area to cut down on the need for employees to walk through the factory to a tool crib for an item.

Gulfstream also established a continuous improvement program to encourage employee input on making the process more efficient. “For example, technicians realized if they had a pouch around their waist to hold insulation pins, they wouldn’t have to repeatedly bend down to pick up pins to insert on aircraft stringers, saving time as well as wear and tear on their bodies,” Collett said. “Year-round, employees are encouraged to create ways to improve how they work.”

The management team also has paid close attention to workflow. One Gulfstream executive recently shared an anecdote where the recently retired Joe Lombardo, the former head of Gulfstream who was promoted to an executive v-p position at General Dynamics, personally designed a tool to ease the burden of lifting certain equipment in the completions process. He took up this task after learning of a worker’s back pain.

Gulfstream opened its second major manufacturing facility when it announced the G650 in March 2008. This building, part of a $400 million facility expansion announced in 2006, came with 316,650 sq ft, 203,000 of which was dedicated to

92 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

manufacturing. Unlike the 450/550 facility that was adapted over time to accommodate new models, the 650 facility was designed specifically for Gulfstream’s largest aircraft to date.

It also was designed with volume in mind. Before the aircraft had reached the market, the G650 quickly racked up more than 200 orders, an initial backlog that stretched into 2017. Production moved so swiftly in the initial ramp up that Gulfstream had to temporarily slow the flow while completions caught up.

Phebe Novakovic, CEO of Gulfstream parent company General Dynamics, said this had created a “disequilibrium,” a process that took several months to iron out.

But production ramped back up, and within the first two years of the aircraft entering service, Gulfstream had handed over the 200th G650. That milestone was reached a year ago.

The facility incorporated a few significant changes in production to assist with the flow. This included the introduction of precision build carts and increased use of machined parts, “all of which contribute to tighter tolerances, decreasing the effort required to assemble the aircraft,” Collett said. The company installed workstations

The first of Gulfstream’s two new 400,000-sq-ft facilities, this building now houses the production line for G500 and G600 wings.

at each build area, enabling technicians to rely on electronic model-based design and work instructions. “This increases efficiencies, because technicians can see exactly what they need in 3-D to proceed with the build process,” he said.

Perhaps one of the most significant changes is using an integrated panel assembly cell (IPAC) to install frames to bonded panels. Using chemically bonded panels dramatically reduced hand riveting. This improved skin quality, reduced the number of fasteners and “lessens cabin air leakage when the tube is pressurized,” he said. With the use of IPAC and its other efficiencies, the G650 has 50 percent fewer parts and 80 percent fewer fasteners than the G550. Not only does it reduce cost, but it significantly reduces noise in the factory.

This evolution continued with the opening of two factories for the 500/600, each larger than the previous two, encompassing 400,000 sq ft apiece. These facilities were part of an additional $500 million expansion strategy that Gulfstream announced in 2010. The first opened in September 2012 for research and development on wing manufacturing. That facility is now used for wing and tail construction for both the G500 and G600.This marked a shift for the manufacturer, which previously had outsourced that work. The second facility opened in September 2014 in time for the rollout of the G500. That is used for fuselage production and final assembly.

The new facilities build off improvements incorporated in the G650 plant.

But instead of using the IPAC, which is stationary, Gulfstream has added an integrated multi-panel assembly cell tool, which moves in concert with the “work piece” or section under development.

Collett noted this improves the flexibility when trying to reach the more challenging areas of a given section.

Gulfstream also has added robotics in its wing assembly area to drill the majority of the panel, particularly in challenging areas such as near the root of the wing, he said. And, the factory has begun to fold in so-called “additive manufacturing,” or 3D prototyping to produce tools and create prototype parts, he said.

As Gulfstream slowly evolved its manufacturing, it has looked beyond the bounds of aerospace for new concepts and techniques. “Gulfstream has reached out and visited several high-end carmakers to see how they approach design and manufacturing,” Collett said. “We have also looked at the yachting industry, which has some similarities to aircraft in terms of furniture and the use of space.” Similarly, in completions, the manufacturer has explored the commercial furniture industry. In turn, Gulfstream has showcased its advancements to not only other General Dynamics units, but also NASA. The new factories have been busy building prototypes and components as the company ramps up for market entry of the G500 in 2017 and the G600 a year later. o

Precision Aviation adds Turbomeca certification

by Pete Combs Determined to increase its share of the highly competitive MRO market, Atlanta-based Precision Aviation Group (PAG) announced a new agreement as a certified maintenance center for Turbomeca (Safran) at PAG’s location at Atlanta Regional Airport Falcon Field. Under the new agreement, PAG subsidiary Precision Aviation Services (PAS) will perform level 1 and 2 maintenance on Turbomeca’s Arriel 1 and 2 as well as the Arrius 1 and 2 turboshaft engines.

This is the latest certification for PAG (Booth N2116), which has been marching toward a broader range of certifications and services over the past two years. In that time, its PAS subsidiary has become a licensed service center for Airbus Helicopters, MD Helicopters and Robinson Helicopter. The work is performed at the 40,000sq-ft PAS facility at Falcon Field.

Alongside the engine service center, PAS offers field service and a full-service avionics shop.

A major part of that business is servicing and supplying accessories for Pratt &

Whitney Canada’s PT6 series.

PAG acquired Aviation Controls in 2014, and since then PAG has made capital investments in the company’s MRO capability by expanding into the Honeywell PT6 engine accessory product line. “In that one move, we not only became a major player in the PT6 market, but we also added hundreds of

years of experience on the part of the Aviation Controls technical staff who are remarkably familiar with the Honeywell line,” said Desai.

He described the rotaryand fixed-wing MRO and parts supply business as extremely competitive. “There are hundreds of companies out there doing what we do,” he said.

“So we differentiate ourselves by [applying] our trademarked ISMRO philosophy and [providing] exceptional customer service. You can buy a widget from any of our competitors.

It’s a combination of our customer service, availability, locations and technical expertise that keeps our phones ringing and customers coming back.” o

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“Customers will now be able to have their entire aircraft and engines serviced from the convenience of our facilities,” said PAS president David Ford. “Our expanded capabilities, MRO services and experienced team makes PAS the ideal location for a Turbomeca service center in the Southeast.”

PAG employs approximately 228 people at eight locations around the world, according to PAG v-p for strategic accounts and marketing Ketan Desai.

The company maintains a parts inventory valued at more than $32 million (cost, not retail), providing combined parts distribution and MRO services.

“We call it inventory supported maintenance repair and overhaul–ISMRO,” Desai said.

“That allows us to keep critical components ready to deploy within minutes of receiving a call to minimize downtime for mission-critical operators, supplying those parts and the surrounding services on a justin-time basis. The bottom line is we stock what we service.”

That inventory includes parts from 80 OEMs, and these are warehoused at facilities throughout PAG’s global area of influence, he said.

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www.ainonline.com • November 18, 2015 • NBAA Convention News 93 10/23/15 3:19 PM

A look at the numbers: where EVS can save lives

EVS high probability of effect

37

by Pete Combs Lexavia sales manager Bob Yerex has long been studying aviation accidents and working closely with the FAA and NTSB looking for instances where enhanced vision system (EVS) technology might have mitigated or prevented accidents. In analyzing 193 fatal accidents that occurred between 2008 and 2010, Yerex believes that EVS could have positively impacted more than 39 percent of those accidents. That, he said, is a great argument for further investigation of EVS technology by operators in every segment of aviation.

EVS uses infrared thermal imaging to define objects and surfaces, noting the differences between the temperatures of objects and surfaces, then displaying them in real-time on a grayscale monochromatic screen with

remarkableclarity. Lexavia Integrated Systems (Booth N3013) manufactures a variety of EVS products installed on business aircraft and helicopters, including integrated controllers, stowable displays, digital recorders and high-resolution EVS cameras.

Although thermal imagers are in fixed positions on the aircraft, some have the ability to zoom in or out as required by the flight crew. EVS systems work day or night and can see through smoke, fog and many other types of reduced visibility, providing pilots with a true image of the situation ahead.

Although useful in daytime, EVS provides the highest potential for risk reduction at night, Yerex said. “Because the visual cues available to the pilot are diminished during periods of darkness,

WSI Fusion software platform blends weather, flight-plan data

by Amy Laboda In business aviation the mission is getting executives and VIPs precisely where they need to be when they need to be there. To complete that mission takes nearly a prescient dispatch department and flight crew working as a team.

Weather and traffic forecasts are powerful, but knowing what is going on just ahead of you as you fly along is even better (thus why our airplanes carry onboard weather radar).

WSI (Booth C10840), a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Weather Company, has been in the business of collecting weather data and making sense of it for commercial aviation operators for nearly 30 years. The company is at NBAA 2015 with its recently enhanced WSI Fusion software, created specifically for the needs of corporate and

charter flight departments. The software complements the company’s PilotBrief program and flight-tracking information by providing dispatchers, managers and other ground operations staff with their own powerful tool for keeping the department running on time.

More Power to the Program

The program employs a fusion of public- and WSI-derived weather information and considers airspace and airport constraints, flight-tracking information and navigation data, creating simplified graphical information and alerts that help dispatchers make decisions on routing for individual flights. The program is getting more powerful, too. Just last month Fusion was enhanced with predictive analytics

A dispatcher’s view of an aircraft operator flying to Hong Kong from Anchorage. WSI Fusion allows the dispatcher to plan a safe and efficient route while referencing any proprietary WSI Enroute Hazard forecasts, and also alerts the user to any changes to plan while en route.

94 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Total combined high and moderate probability of effect

EVS moderate probability of effect

39% 19%

Fatal Accidents & Possible Value 20% of EVS

61%

EVS low probability of effect

118

38

the pilot has a much greater potential to lose spatial orientation” he explained.

The loss of situational awareness or spatial orientation is one of the principal initiators in a substantial percentage of controlled flight into terrain accidents.

The ability to use EVS to improve the pilot’s awareness of both terrain and atmospheric conditions during night that allow the program to forecast airport congestion, even taxi times, based on wind changes, inbound-outbound traffic analyses and, of course, weather.

“WSI Fusion is really a platform for managing individual flights in realtime,” Mark Miller, v-p and general manager of decision support for WSI, told AIN. “It helps provide both the dispatcher, and through its functions, the flight crew, early insight to any form of disruption that may affect a flight. With Fusion, when a dispatcher receives an alert of possible problems, say turbulence ahead, she can simply right click on her mouse and send that information via satcom or even ACARS to the specific flight crew, giving them time to consider a reroute or altitude change.”

WSI’s extensive network of both human and digital traffic monitoring, weather collection and forecasting systems is key to how WSI Fusion works. “We’ve got continuous monitoring of airspace and weather worldwide,” said Miller. WSI gets its turbulence information from proprietary sensors it installs onboard participating aircraft worldwide as part of its Total Turbulence program. It doesn’t get any more real-time than that.

“We support both U.S. and EuroControl flight data [tracking] and a global ADS-B network, as well. We augment this with operator position reports in any areas where we don’t yet have tracking capability,” he explained. All of the information required to compile an accurate track and real-time information about flight conditions happens behind the scenes. The dispatcher just sees what she needs to see: the aircraft track and any advance warnings of potential trouble for the flight.

“With advance notice of possible disruptions, Fusion empowers the flight department, from dispatcher to flight crew, to meet its mission safely and efficiently,” said Miller. o

operations provides a capability not possible with many other technologies. Night vision goggles (NVG) are an alternative technology, and they amplify existing light, creating a monochromatic image presented through a binocular display generally worn over the operator’s head. NVG works only at night while EVS works day or night and can be integrated much more simply into flight operations.

EVS proponents believe thermal imaging technology had a moderate or better probability of mitigating or helping to prevent 75 of the 193 analyzed accidents between 2008 and 2010. Darkness was a factor in more than 85 percent of those accidents, with weather being a factor in 43 accidents. Twenty-two of the accidents involved helicopters, of which 50 percent were medevac flights. One hundred percent of the EMS helicopter accidents occurred at night. Yerex’s research indicated that in those cases, EVS had a moderate or higher potential to positively affect the outcome of those flights, aiding crew members in mitigating or even avoiding the accident altogether had the technology been in use at the time.

“The statistics are extremely compelling,” Yerex said. “But when you break it down even further, the impact of EVS becomes even more significant.”​ More than half of the accidents Yerex studied occurred during the cruise phase of flight. In more than a third of those cases, Yerex found EVS could have been a significant factor in avoiding the accident.

“What EVS won’t do is eliminate errors in judgment, the potential for loss of situational awareness or allow flight crews to operate below FAR minimums,” Yerex cautioned. “But through years of operating in the field of safety and the EVS industry, the findings supported my feelings that operations during periods of darkness would be the most significant contributing factor where EVS would be able to help avoid potentially fatal situations. We were right.” o

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FlightSafety extends upset training program

by Matt Thurber FlightSafety’s new upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) course offers training that can help pilots deal with loss of control, the accident category with the greatest number of fatalities in business and commercial aviation and also one of the NTSB’s “most wanted” safety improvements. The FlightSafety UPRT program was first offered in a Gulfstream G550 simulator at the Savannah, Ga., learning center, and this was the first simulator qualified by the FAA with an aerodynamic model that can replicate out-of-the-normal envelope maneuvers. FlightSafety has now added the GV simulator at its Wilmington, Del., learning center to the UPRT program. Qualification of the simulators was done under the FAA’s National Simulator Program.

I attended the G550 UPRT class shortly after it was introduced, and it was taught by Dann Runik, FlightSafety executive director of advanced training programs. Runik was careful to point out that this course is designed specifically for Gulfstream pilots and isn’t necessarily transferrable to other airplane types. The exercises we practiced replicated many of the notorious loss-ofcontrol accidents of the past 30 years, none of which occurred in Gulfstream jets.

“Loss of control in-flight is reported to be the leading cause of fatal accidents over the last 20 years,” said Runik. “Successful response to in-flight loss of control requires careful, effective preparation and training.”

The training is specific to large-cabin Gulfstreams because the G550 simulator was reprogrammed to reflect actual Gulfstream flight-test data. Fullflight simulators are typically not aerodynamically modeled outside the normal flight envelope and cannot be used to replicate full stalls or for UPRT that strays well outside the normal envelope.

According to FlightSafety, the aerodynamic models “are based on actual aircraft flight-test information, wind tunnel testing and analytical data, including low speeds that replicate deep aerodynamic stalls and extreme high speeds beyond Vmo and Mmo.” Other business jet OEMs have expressed interest in sharing their data so FlightSafety can model their jets’ behavior beyond the normal

envelope. Besides the safety benefits, this effort is also intended to meet new Part 60 training regulations expected to affect airlines and charter operators in about five years, according to Runik.

The G550/GV UPRT is a one-day course that begins with a morning of ground school covering aerodynamics and the kinds of accidents that UPRT is designed to prevent.

Some of the key points included a discussion of angle of attack and how to derive it by

“The quickest way to recover from a stall,” Runik explained, “is to unload the wings first, then return to wings level.” It is important to unload the wings because an aileron on a stalled wing is ineffective, and if one wing is stalled and the other isn’t, only one aileron can help return the wings to level. By reducing the angle of attack on the wings, the ailerons are again usable to help the return to wings level.

Basic Maneuvers

In the simulator, Runik first had me practice moving the ailerons from stop to stop, to get used to the occasionally aggressive moves I would have to make in some of the upsets. Then he had me practice some unusual attitudes to get used to the way

showing on the airspeed indicator and a sink rate of more than 10,000 fpm, I tried turning left and right. The high speed makes the flight controls extremely heavy, but the point is to learn that the airplane can still be maneuvered. I had to pull back hard on the yoke and use electric trim to get the nose back up, and carefully, too, to avoid pulling too many g.

The next part of the training was the best, replicating the precursors to actual accidents.

While we tried mirroring some of the worst loss-of-control accidents, I’m giving scant detail here because this is the heart of the training and it really needs to be experienced for it to sink in. The FAA recommends that instructors not announce the upcoming scenario and let the

the ground is a huge benefit of this simulation. “With the highfidelity visuals, that ground rush is the real deal,” he said.

I will describe two scenarios briefly, but let me admit that I crashed the simulator more than once. In the replication of the USAir Flight 427 crash, where the rudder went hard over by itself, I had to react almost instantly by pushing the yoke forward to maintain some semblance of control. Even though I flew this scenario twice, I was unable to land on the runway with the rudder fully deflected. We might have survived; in any case this was a better outcome than a high-speed inverted dive into the ground, and the recovery technique paid off, although I had to be careful not to induce a secondary stall.

Real-world Scenario

The sim FlightSafety uses for G550 upset prevention and recovery training incorporate actual flight-test data to show users how the airplane will react in flight outside the normal flight envelope, such as deep aerodynamic stalls and extreme high speeds.

looking at the G550’s head-up display and noting the angle between the boresight and flight-path vector; how supersonic shockwaves affect the flight controls even at transonic speeds; a detailed discussion of the V-N diagram (velocity versus load factor); the importance of unloading the wings during any upset and how that improves aileron effectiveness and eliminates the possibility of stalling; stability and control; and finally the recovery technique.

Normally, pilots will sign up for the class in pairs, with each pilot flying for a couple of hours then switching seats and observing and acting as copilot. Since I was by myself, Tom Emmolo, director of advanced training programs, flew right seat.

The UPRT recovery technique is straightforward and always the same: push, roll to place the lift vector perpendicular to the horizon, pull (at maximum g loading if below maneuvering speed) and manage power as needed.

the world looks on the visual display in other than normal flying.

We moved into clean and dirty stalls and tried to hold the yoke aft to get the G550 to do a “falling leaf,” where it would roll from left to right while stalled.

The first time we tried this, it fell off on one wing, but it worked the second time, illustrating how accurately the aerodynamics are modeled because this is similar to the unpredictability of the real airplane’s stall characteristics, according to Runik.

With the simulator at 48,000 feet, Runik instructed me to lower the nose steadily at three degrees per second to 20 degrees nose down with maximum power set. As the G550 accelerated, the shockwave produced on the nose of the airplane blocked the pitot tubes, giving us erratic airspeed indications, but they settled down as we picked up more speed. I could feel a subtle buzz in the ailerons, and the loud cockpit noise was distracting. With 400+ kias

96 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

pilot experience the full startle factor in the simulator.

This is a contentious issue in the training world, and some believe that the startle factor can be achieved only in a real aircraft. Runik pointed out, “It’s impossible to have a startle factor [in the aircraft],” because there is too high a risk of breaking the aircraft if the pilot reacts the wrong way. In the simulator, not briefing the pilot on what to expect is easy, and the worst that can happen is that the instructor has to reset the computer.

Not only can Runik allow pilots to crash into the ground in the simulator, but he can also put pilots into a dire situation close to the ground–suicidal in a real airplane. “What kills pilots is when they see that ground rush,” he explained. The natural reaction in that case is to pull back on the yoke and the result is always a stall. Pilots must be taught to fight that reaction, and being able to train to do that close to

Particularly interesting was a low-altitude stall inspired by the Asiana Flight 214 accident in San Francisco, where the pilots failed to add thrust after the autothrottle retarded power and then stalled the Boeing 777. In this scenario, which didn’t exactly replicate Flight 214, we flew a left downwind leg and at my request my copilot set a vertical mode in the flight guidance panel. This caused the autothrottles to move the power to idle, but I wasn’t supposed to be aware of this and continued turning base and pulling up the nose until the G550 stalled at about 720 feet agl. Trying to help, my copilot pulled on the yoke, and I had to take over, ask him to let go of the controls and try to recover from the stall using the UPRT technique.

This was a situation where I had to be quick and aggressive with the controls, and it took me four tries before I could recover.

In some of the attempts I caused a secondary stall, probably because I could see the ground rushing up at us, and it took not only a hard push to unload the wings but a careful pull after leveling the wings to avoid stalling again. Of course, a hefty application of power was also necessary.

In my successful completion of this exercise, the G550 recovered with 200 feet to spare.

I thought the G550 UPRT was enormously helpful, adding a new measure of confidence to my flying skills, backed up by some new muscle memories. I have done upset training before in airplanes, from an Extra 300 aerobatic single to an Impala single-engine jet, but none of that was anywhere near the ground.

Trying to keep the G550 sim from crashing after a low-altitude stall was as real as it gets. o

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Bizjets, t-props suffer first fatals of ’15 in Q3

Business jets

by Gordon Gilbert

Nonfatal accidents

On August 16 one of the longest streaks without a fatal accident among U.S.-registered business jets came to an end.

On that day, a Sabreliner and a Cessna 172 collided in midair near San Diego, killing all four people aboard the jet and the sole occupant of the Skyhawk. The civilian jet was operating under Part 91 but on a mission for the military at the time of the collision. Until this event, no N-numbered business jet had been involved in a fatal crash between January and mid-August.

However, both N-numbered business jets and turboprops incurred more overall accidents year-over-year. According to AIN research, 15 people were killed in four crashes in the first three quarters of last year, a higher toll than the four fatalities in the San Diego Sabreliner accident this year. Part 91 operations accounted for all the fatal accidents in both periods.

Crew Behavior Questioned

The NTSB recently concluded its investigation of one of the business jet fatal accidents last year: the crash of a GIV attempting to take off at Bedford, Mass., on May 31, 2014. The Safety Board determined the probable causes to be “the flight crewmembers’ failure to perform the flight control check before takeoff, their attempt to take off with the gustlock system engaged, and their delayed execution of a rejected

takeoff after they became aware that the controls were locked.”

Contributing to the accident were “Gulfstream’s failure to ensure that the GIV gust lock/throttle lever interlock system would prevent an attempted takeoff with the gust lock engaged, the FAA’s failure to detect this inadequacy during the GIV’s certification and the flight crew’s habitual noncompliance with checklists.” In addition, the investigation revealed that a flight control check had not been completed on 98 percent of the previous 175 flights in the airplane.

Another completed investigation involved a deliberate descent below DH that led to an accident that killed all nine aboard. The crash of a Learjet 35A on a second ILS approach in IMC to Runway 6 at Freeport International Airport, Bahamas, on Nov. 9, 2014, was caused by “the poor decision making of the crew in initiating and continuing a descent in IMC below the authorized altitude without visual contact with the runway environment,” according to the Bahamas Air Accident Investigation & Prevention Unit (AAIPU).

The AAIPU report lists contributing factors as bad weather, improper planning for the approach, insufficient situational awareness, inadequate CRM and the crew’s deliberate disabling of the Taws. According to the CVR transcript, one of the crewmembers said, “Aw shut up,”

U.S.-registered Business Jet and Turboprop Accidents/Incidents Worldwide (First Nine Months 2015 vs. First Nine Months 2014) Total 2015 2014

4

1

Part 135 2015 2014

0

1

1

Public/Gov’t 2015 2014 1

0

Mfr. 2015

2014

0

0

5

1

4

1

4

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

16

9

13

8

1

0

1

1

1

0

0

0

Fatalities

4

15

4

15

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Incidents

31

34

28

26

1

4

1

4

0

0

1

0

Business turboprops

Total 2015 2014

Nonfatal accidents

Part 91 2015 2014

Part 91K 2015 2014

Part 135 2015 2014

Public/Gov’t 2015 2014

Mfr. 2015

2014

23

12

19

10

0

0

4

2

0

0

0

0

8

8

7

8

0

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

Total accidents

31

30

26

18

0

0

5

2

0

0

0

0

Fatalities

25

20

16

20

0

0

9

0

0

0

0

0

Incidents

25

15

21

13

0

0

4

2

0

0

0

0

Fatal accidents

All data preliminary. Sources: FAA, NTSB, Aviation Safety Network, AIN research

Involving Non-U.S.-registered Business Jets/Turboprops Business jets Nonfatal accidents Fatal accidents

Total Private Charter Other* Unknown 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 8 4 4 2 2 1 1 1 1 0 2

4

1

0

0

1

1

2

0

1

Total accidents

10

8

5

2

2

2

2

3

1

1

Fatalities

11

19

4

0

0

5

7

6

0

8

Incidents

7

3

4

0

1

2

2

0

0

1

Business turboprops

Total

Private

Charter

Other*

Unknown

2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 2015 2014 11

7

5

1

2

4

3

2

1

0

Fatal accidents

8

7

4

3

1

2

3

1

0

1

Nonfatal accidents Total accidents

19

14

9

4

3

6

6

3

1

1

Fatalities

28

28

13

14

1

7

14

5

0

2

Incidents

8

4

5

1

2

0

0

2

1

1

AIN tables show “incidents” as well as “accidents” to distinguish mishaps based on their degree of severity. Investigators often draw fine distinctions between the two events, but, typically, incidents result in minor or no damage and their investigations are sometimes delegated to local officials.

Accidents are events that range from minor damage to destruction and/or injuries. Also, some incidents ultimately get upgraded to accident status during the investigative process. n

*For example: air ambulance, aerial survey, ferry, training, testing, government (non-military) and head of state.

after which the Taws alerts of “too low, terrain, pull up” ceased.

Turboprop Fatalities Up

Eight fatal U.S. turboprop mishaps during the third quarter killed 25 people, compared with 20 deaths in eight accidents (all

STANDARDAERO EQUIPS HAWKER 800XP WITH GOGO WI-FI StandardAero’s Houston Intercontinental MRO facility recently installed its first Gogo Business Aviation UCS-5000 smart router and media server on a Hawker 800XP. Along with the new router, the company also installed an ATG-5000 air-to-ground telecom system. Together, these two systems provide passengers the ability to watch the latest television shows and movies via the media server, while also connecting to the Internet through the ATG-5000. As part of the project, StandardAero tapped a Liberty Partners supplemental type certificate (STC) to activate the Wi-Fi system.

“We are pleased to provide expanded cabin and [in-flight entertainment] capabilities for our customers,” said Melissa Maddox, vice president and general manager of StandardAero’s Houston facility. “In particular and for this customer, the UCS-5000 adds extra functionality to allow passengers to stream video content from the router to mobile devices

12

Part 91K 2015 2014

15

Fatal accidents Total accidents

Part 91 2015 2014

Hawker 800XP

versus standard ATG-5000/4000 installations.”

StandardAero (Booth N4500) also opened an FAAapproved satellite repair station at Houston Hobby Airport last year with direct access to the airfield. The Hobby facility operates service vehicles complete with tooling needed to deliver repair services directly to operators within the airport perimeter as well as surrounding airports including Ellington, Sugarland, West Houston Executive, Hooks and Conroe. –D.A.L.

98 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Part 91) for the same period last year. Of the eight fatal mishaps this year, seven were Part 91 and one was Part 135. The one airtaxi fatal mishap involved a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter. Reduced visibility prevailed on June 25, 2015, when the aircraft hit a near-vertical rock face at an elevation of about 1,600 feet msl while on a sightseeing flight in Alaska. The pilot and all eight passengers perished in the crash.

Non-U.S.-registered turbine business airplanes suffered more nonfatal accidents in the recent period versus last year. But it wasn’t until the third quarter of this year that non-U.S.-registered business jets had their first fatal crashes. This year, 11 people lost their lives in two accidents, one of which was a private operation and the other an air ambulance flight. Between January and September last year, 19 people died in four accidents, and only one was operating on a private mission.

The fatality toll among non-N-numbered turboprops

remained unchanged in both comparable periods: 28 people died in eight crashes in the third quarter of this year and 28 were killed in seven accidents in the corresponding nine months last year.

The statistics in this article and the accompanying charts do not include the August 28 ground collision that damaged a Falcon 2000, a Falcon 50 and a King Air C90 at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. According to the NTSB, the pilot of the Falcon 2000 said that after the preflight and before-takeoff checklist had been completed, and with the parking brake set to on, a ground handler pulled the chocks and the airplane immediately began rolling. Neither the toe brakes nor emergency braking slowed or stopped the airplane, the pilot told investigators. o

TAG Farnborough cleared for IS-BAH

by Curt Epstein Last month, TAG Farnborough (Booth N930) achieved certification under IBAC’s International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH), an industry-created, voluntary code of best practices.

A joint program between the Internation Business Aviation Councial (IBAC) and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA), IS-BAH

incorporates a safety management system (SMS) in all aspects of FBO operations and is structured on the earlier International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO).

“We have a sophisticated and well tried safety management system that is regularly audited by our regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority [CAA], but to have it audited by this independent

organization with regards to our business aviation handling was important,” said Brandon O’Reilly, Farnborough’s CEO. Since TAG already had an SMS in place, the entire procedure took about three months.

“This recognition demonstrates that TAG Farnborough Airport shows a clear commitment to business aviation safety on the ground and goes beyond what is required to mitigate risks for its customers and employees,” said IBAC director general Kurt Edwards. The London-area business aviation gateway is the second UK facility to receive the registration, following Inflite-The Jet Centre at London Stansted

Airport in August, and the ninth overall, according to IBAC. “I think it gives operators who come to Farnborough and any airport that is accredited to IS-BAH comfort, the confidence that the handling company is going to look after their welfare, their aircraft and all of the handling procedures are going to be in accordance with these parameters,” said O’Reilly, noting that some operators have already cancelled their scheduled audits of the facility on the news that it had achieved the certification. “It’s more efficient, it saves time for both of us from an audit perspective.

Operators don’t need to audit

airports as much as they did in the past; we’ve seen evidence of this already.”

Authorities at Farnborough reported that it saw a 2.5-percent boost in overall operations through the first half of the year, punctuated by a 12-percent rise in traffic among airliner-derived private aircraft such as the BBJ and ACJ. Based upon that trend, the TAG Aviation-operated facility embarked on several improvements to its FBO earlier this year. “We assumed and predicted that this growth was going to continue,” O’Reilly told AIN. “So we made a decision to build the infrastructure further at Farnborough to handle this increasing number of particularly large aircraft.”

Passenger Amenities

TAG Aviation Farnborough has implemented a number of improvements as it looks ahead to increased traffic. In addition to the kinds of changes passengers will notice, the FBO has achieved IS-BAH certification, becoming the ninth FBO to achieve such approval.

Korea’s first FBO eyes a strong future

by Curt Epstein With the opening of the SeoulGimpo Business Aviation Center just months away, members of the Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) and Avjet Asia are here at the NBAA show (Booth C13029) to provide information about the new facility and the services it will offer. KAC owns the facility, and Avjet Asia will assist in its management. The Seoul-Gimpo Business Aviation Center is South Korea’s first dedicated FBO. “Seoul-Gimpo Business Aviation Center is suited as the business aviation hub of Northeast Asia,” said Jeom-Peo Hong, KAC’s general manager of the FBO operation team. “Its opening will be the catalyst for the future growth of the business aviation market.” Private aviation traffic at the airport has risen considerably over the last decade, from 179 flights in 2005 to more than 1,100 last year, spurring the need for a modern FBO. Construction of the $411 million facility at Gimpo International Airport, located

less than 10 miles from the capital’s downtown business district, is expected to be completed by the end of the year, with a grand opening to follow next April.

The location includes a 32,000sq-ft two-level bizav terminal operated by KAC, with onsite customs, immigration and quarantine control, passenger and crew lounges, and a 10-seat A/V-equipped conference room. The 255,000-sq-ft hangar will be able to simultaneously

accommodate eight G550s, with parking available on an hourly, daily or monthly basis. Ground handling and line service will be provided by Avjet and will also include line and AOG maintenance and interior and exterior aircraft cleaning. “With its world-class VIP facilities and services, Seoul-Gimpo BAC will be the perfect gateway for global VIPs visiting Korea,” noted Kim. While aircraft parking space is an issue at other Asian airports,

Located at the Seoul-Gimpo Business Airport’s dedicated Aviation Center, South Korea’s first FBO will be operated by a joint venture of Avjet Asia and the Korea Airports Corp.

100 NBAA Convention News • November 18, 2015 • www.ainonline.com

Gimpo, which features a pair of runways longer than 10,000 feet, offers 72 parking stands, including four dedicated to business aviation use located directly in front of the terminal. According to government-owned KAC, which operates 13 other airports across South Korea, that network provides easy transfer to any major city in the country, while its surplus slots at Gimpo, which is currently operating at 60 percent of peak capacity, guarantee no delays during operational hours. Added benefits to operating in the region include low costs and a short and straightforward permitting process.

In addition to attracting traffic specifically operating in and out of South Korea, Avjet chairman and CEO Marc Foulkrod believes the new FBO will become a popular transit stop for business aviation traffic in northeast Asia. “People are still having a lot of difficulty [operating] in China, and Seoul is less than a two-hour flight to Beijing and also convenient for Hong Kong,” he told AIN. “South Korea is English-speaking and a much easier place [to do business] than China. Some people are pulling their aircraft out of China and basing them elsewhere.” o

As part of the just-completed $1 million refurbishment of its passenger terminal, Passenger Lounge Five was created, a secure area separated from the rest of the passenger spaces, and tailored specifically to handle higher volume flights of more than 20 passengers, such as sports teams. “We get auto manufacturers taking dealers to particular events, and they are using larger aircraft types.

We want to be able to handle those customers as best we can,” O’Reilly told AIN. Also included in the refurbishment project was a crew gym.

According to O’Reilly, this latest addition was the direct result of internal customer surveys.

“We ask what can we do better at Farnborough to make your life easier when you originate or you arrive, and the top item that was requested was to have a gymnasium,” he said. “It’s an example of us trying to ensure that crews that come through Farnborough as well as passengers are well looked after. The things that they’ve asked for, we deliver.”

Though the airport has seen increased traffic year-over year, the number of noise complaints it has received has fallen by more than 50 percent, according to O’Reilly. To reduce them even further, the operators in July submitted an airspace change proposal to the CAA, which if approved would modify the airspace around the airport from uncontrolled to controlled, allowing instrument departures and standard terminal arrival routes. Farnborough anticipates a decision from the regulators by year-end. o

Flexjet inks MoU for 20 Challenger 350s

Fractional provider Flexjet, represented

by CEO Mike Silvestro, left, buttressed its fleet with an MoU with Bombardier Business Aircraft president David Coleal for 20 Challenger 350s

Mike Silvestro, CEO of Flexjet, commented, “I couldn’t be more excited about this announcement.

Flexjet first took delivery of its first Challenger 300 in 2003, and

since then it has been the mainstay of our fleet. Back then I think Bombardier did a phenomenal job creating this great supermidsize cabin aircraft, and many

years later with the Challenger 350 they have continued to define and set the standard for excellence for this category.”

The Flexjet Challenger 350s will become a part of FlexJet’s new Red Label offering, “which enhances the experience for our customers,” explained Silvestro. These aircraft “will have dedicated crews who fly specific N-number aircraft and special LXI phenomenal interiors [including handstitched leather seating]. And we are committed to using only aircraft that are five years old or younger,” he added. o

Las Vegas and is a member of the House Transportation Infrastructure Committee and the GA Caucus, said, “We need to sustain and build on successes and not transform” what is the world’s “safest and most complex” ATC system.

Governor Fallin, showcasing Oklahoma’s support for GA, pointed to recent legislation empowering the state’s Aeronautics Commission to protect airports from development encroachment and said, “The biggest single airline in the United States is general aviation.”

Adding star power to the session, award-winning singer-songwriter and pilot Dierks Bentley told how aircraft allow him to have a career and a home life.

Having recently acquired a jet, he said he told his band mates, “Maintain the plane, we need to keep the hits coming” was their motto for 2016.

AOPA president and CEO Mark Baker illustrated the power of GA by spotlighting his

organization’s recent Bizav and You promotion, which provided a small business with use of a Pilatus PC-12NG for a day, and presented a video showcasing all the winner was able to accomplish with the aircraft.

U.S. Customs and Border

Protection commissioner Gil Kerlikowske had to cancel his appearance at the opening session, as unforeseen national security issues demanded his presence in Washington, D.C., in the wake of last Friday’s terrorist attacks in Paris. o

Bombardier connection beams

the bottom line, it works and it works with reliability,” The system leverages Honeywell’s JetWave hardware and JetConnex satcom service, which taps Inmarsat’s Ka-band satellite constellation to deliver satellite communication at guaranteed speeds previously unavailable.

According to the OEM– which claims is the first to make ultra-high speed Internet and Wi-Fi access available in flight globally–passengers can now stage a videoconference, surf the Internet or stream online video over land or water. “Our Global aircraft can link virtually any key city pair worldwide, nonstop, at close to the speed of sound, and the Bombardier WAVE system is intended to

by R. Randall Padfield Fractional ownership provider Flexjet signed a memorandum of understanding with Bombardier Business Aircraft for the purchase of 20 Challenger 350 super-midsize business jets. The $533 million deal makes the Texas-based fractional-share provider one of the largest operators of the 300-series aircraft, and it already has more than 40 in service.

The Challenger 350 is “built for optimal comfort and performance and holds a particular appeal for Flexjet customers,”

according to Bombardier Business Aircraft president David Coleal. “The aircraft can carry eight passengers 3,200 nautical miles with a non-stop cruise speed of Mach 0.80, and it has the fastest time-to-climb in the business, climbing straight to 43,000 feet. Along with the latest avionics, it has the widest cabin of any true, super-midsize aircraft.” He added that “the 350 has a flat floor, a stand-up cabin, lots of natural light and an HD cabin management system.”

NBAA eyes user-fee specter

Mary Fallin and congresswoman Dina Titus (R-NV) were among the luminaries participating in the opening session for NBAA 2015. Huerta didn’t address reauthorization by name, but noted that adoption of NextGen technologies–a key component of any reauthorization proposal–has already yielded $1.6 billion in benefits to system users, with another $11.4 billion expected over the next 15 years. He cited DataComm, which replaces radio communication with text messaging, as one example, and noted the service is scheduled for implementation at more than 50 ATC towers and Tracons in 2016.

In her remarks on privatization, Titus, who represents

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legislation represents “a real threat to our future.”

The FAA’s current budget extension is set to expire on March 31, 2016. NBAA and its allies in the General Aviation Manufacturers Association expressed concern on Monday about the fact that they still haven’t seen even a draft version of the anticipated legislation. To help the business aviation industry communicate with Congress, NBAA has created a mobile app to allow people to contact lawmakers.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, Oklahoma governor

PHILLIPS 66 DONATES $22K TO CORPORATE ANGEL NETWORK Corporate Angel Network (CAN) accepted a $22,000 donation at the Phillips 66 Aviation Booth during the opening day of NBAA 2015. The donation comes from the proceeds of an advertising program recognizing four corporate flight departments that fly cancer patients to medical treatment facilities each year. CAN arranges more than 200 flights each month to transport cancer patients on corporate aircraft for treatment.

–A.L.

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Los Angeles to Las Vegas for the NBAA show. During the flight, he asked his office to send him footage from a documentary he is currently engaged in, and according to the actor best known for his role as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, it arrived instantaneously. “If you are an executive going someplace in the world and you need information or you need to inform somebody about something, you can do it aboard your airplane unprecedented, “Shatner told the audience at Bombardier’s press conference. “That’s really

Cutting the NBAA 2015 ribbon are (l-r): AOPA head Mark Baker; Nevada congresswoman Dina Titus; country singer Dierks Bentley; Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin; and FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. NBAA’s Ed Bolen and board members look on.

match this performance with its exceptional speed, promise of reliability and worldwide reach,” said David Coleal, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft.

WAVE will be available on new Globals starting next year and can also be retrofitted to older Globals. It will be available first from the company’s owned service centers, followed by the broader authorized service network. o

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Skandia shows its soundproofing, flooring and seating components

by James Wynbrandt Interiors specialist Skandia (Booth C10229), which also performs flammability testing for many aviation companies, is debuting new products spanning the seat upholstery, soundproofing and carpet installation categories, and also introducing new employees here at NBAA 2015.

In response to the increasing popularity of a quilted look in finished upholstery, the company is introducing a four-way stretch Jersey knit material that makes it easier to attach quilted material to Dax foam seat cushion material–a material Skandia manufactures, found in most of the world’s aircraft seats.

For quieter cabins, the company’s soundproofing package for King Air 100/200/300 series, previously installed under a general refurbishment STC or Form 337, is now available as a ready-to-install STC’d kit.

Additionally, a new low-profile carpet hook-and-loop retention system provides better grounding of carpeting to aircraft flooring, without bubbles and waves building underneath as can happen with current retention systems.

Meanwhile the Illinoisbased company, which performs the majority of flammability testing for aircraft interior

GDC ENGINEERS ADD VALUE TO COMPLETIONS WITH TECHNOLOGY Completions specialist GDC Technics rolled out an array of new technology developed in-house to provide more advanced options for outfitting and modifying private and business aircraft. The Texasbased group has invested around $30 million in five areas of technology now being collectively leveraged as part of its new “Engineering the Impossible” strategy unveiled at NBAA 2015 on Tuesday.

“We’re trying to challenge the conventional wisdom in designing VIP cabins,” said GDC general partner Mohammed Alzeer. “We deliver airplanes that look as good on the inside as they look on the outside and this means there have to be the latest and greatest technologies adding value to customers.”

By adopting new fabrication techniques and advanced materials, GDC says it is now producing cabin interiors that are around 20 percent lighter than those specified by the airframers themselves. “That can mean additional payload, fuel savings and more range for our customers,” Alzeer told a press conference.

For example, for a VIP Boeing 787, GDC believes it could reduce the overall weight of cabin interiors from just over 50,000 pounds to around 40,000 pounds. Among the techniques used are eliminating heavier metal pins and glues in favor or mortise-and-tenon joints, and also the use of carbon-fiber panels weighing about two-thirds as much as earlier Nomex materials.

GDC (Booth N5900) also is now using 3-D printing techniques to make lightweight, precision-crafted cabin interiors and in-flight entertainment components, such as precision-tuned speaker housings.

Having invested in advanced 3-D printing machinery, the company is using it to miniaturize certain items in pursuit of further incremental weight savings.

Another aspect to GDC’s innovation is the introduction of its “Sychronicity” 3-D engineering software, which allows engineers in the group’s various locations to work more collaboratively to reduce development times for projects, using the latest Catia V6 platform. “We have linked engineering to program management to more efficiently map out every aspect from design to implementation,” explained Alzeer.

“We have to be completely synchronized for STCs.” At the same time, 3-D virtual reality interfaces are now allowing GDC’s designers to show clients exactly, to scale, how their preferences for cabin interiors will look in practice. This can accelerate the process for adjusting designs and ensure that the end product more closely matches the customer’s ideal outcome.

GDC’s efforts to apply higher technology to its completions projects also now benefits from the contribution of its new GDC Engineering subsidiary in Munich, Germany. The engineering specialist has been directly involved in design work for the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350. –C.A.

furnishings, is upgrading its test lab facilities, including development of next-generation “sonic burner” flammability testing equipment intended to provide more consistency in tests. The new equipment will be used inhouse and not offered to other facilities. Expansion of its heat release, and smoke density and toxicity test lab has also been completed.

Skandia has also invested in its human resources, hiring industry veterans Jon BonDurant as Eastern regional sales manager and Kambiz Avval as Western regional sales manager, and also covering Europe. o

STYLISH ARRIVAL Jennifer Leach English, editorial director of AIN sister publication Business Jet Traveler, flew in style from Teterboro, N.J., to Las Vegas onboard this Embraer Lineage 1000E. During the flight she interviewed Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Marco Tulio Pellegrini (pictured above). The bizliner can seat up to 19 passengers and is equipped with five zones that can be configured hundreds of different ways to suit various owners, including two private meeting rooms or an optional bedroom with an en suite bathroom complete with walk-in shower. You can tour the Lineage on the NBAA static this week and watch a detailed video of our flight experience at AINonline.com.

Astronics and Panasonic to offer fast connectivity

by Curt Epstein Connectivity hardware manufacturer Astronics Aerosat (Booth C8543) has partnered with in-flight entertainment and connectivity service provider Panasonic Avionics (Booth C13146) to provide high-speed communication services and global live television programming to the business aviation market. Together they will offer dedicated broadband data Internet services, four channels of global television services, and regional DBS-TV programming, all from a single antenna.

“This is a market we’ve looked at for a long time,” said David Bruner, Panasonic’s vice president of global communications, announcing the agreement at NBAA 2015. “You have

to have proper hardware technology on the airplane, which we did not have.”

The new partnership will offer tiered connectivity packages based around Aerosat’s FliteStream T-series tailmounted satcom antennas, whose capabilities vary depending on customer needs. “That’s the key novel thing that Aerosat is bringing to this,” said Bruner.

“You have to have the satellite assets, you have to have technology assets on the airplane to make the whole thing come together. We had part of it, Aerosat had the other part, it makes for a very good relationship.”

Panasonic’s Global Ku-band network includes 19 satellites

and is approved to operate in more than 200 countries.

Each level of the connectivity plan will provide a guaranteed data rate, ranging from 1.5 to 4 Mbps. “That is the lowest performance you will get when you sign up to that level,” noted Bruner. “This will probably not be the lowest-cost service in the marketplace, but it will be the quality service in the marketplace.” The service will be available in the second quarter of 2016.

Enhanced Vision

Astronics also announced that Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service has been named as the launch customer for its MaxViz 1400, the latest in its series of enhanced vision systems. The $25,000 surface-mount unit was installed in five of the service’s King Airs. It enables pilots to see up to 10 times further than normal human vision in low visibility situations such as smoke, haze and light fog. o

NEW WEBSITE, MILITARY-FRIENDLY EMPLOYER DESIGNATION FOR AVIALL Anyone who has been on Aviall’s website recently will probably have noticed some changes. Aviall, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boeing and one of the largest suppliers of OEM and aftermarket aircraft parts globally, is revising the site with a modern, more intuitive layout. The most recent addition is a digital interactive parts catalog that allows customers to literally flip through virtual pages and click on part numbers to see pricing and availability.

The entire website will be revamped by early 2016.

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In other news Aviall (Booth N2321) reported at NBAA 2015 that it was named seventh out of the top 100 employers earning the 2016 Military-Friendly Employer designation from Victory Media, the publisher of G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse.

“Military veterans bring significant value to the workplace, both in technical skills and leadership qualities,” said Ed Dolanski, Aviall president and CEO. “We focus our hiring efforts on veterans for this very reason, averaging about 26 percent of our new hires each year.”

–A.L.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ARRIVED

Experience the HondaJet at our static display at Henderson Airport. And visit exhibit C11524 to meet one-on-one with the HondaJet team and learn about the innovations that went into making this the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most advanced light jet. hondajet.com